Illusions
by Spectrum24
Summary: Sequel to 'So Close Yet So Far'.  Some of Ginny's actions have come back to haunt her and they send her and Hermione through a series of repercussions.   Sometimes a blessing comes in disguise and sometimes trouble strikes without a trace.  Ginny/Hermione
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: I do not own any of the characters used in this story. The characters are from the Harry Potter series owned by the talented J.K. Rowling.

* * *

_"Please, Professor, tell me what's happening," Ginny requested, her voice tight with worry though she struggled to remain composed and steady._

_Dumbledore gave her a tiny smile, his eyes kind, and yielded. "Very well." He paused to reach for a copy of the paper that lay on his desk. "I'm afraid Miss Granger is in a great deal of trouble," he announced regretfully as he extended his arm across the desk and offered her the paper. _

_Ginny felt her senses dull as Dumbledore's words shook her. She absently shuffled over towards him and gingerly took the paper from his hand and held it up in her own trembling ones._

_"...We have to do something," she said urgently, her voice shaking, as she took a large step towards Dumbledore. He watched her quietly with sad eyes, but said nothing. "Come on...You're supposed to be the greatest wizard in all of Europe!" She cried. "And you can't do anything? You lied to us! You said that Hermione would be fine, that she would be safe!" She felt tears brimming in her eyes and she stared expectantly at the Headmaster who did nothing. "Well she's not!" Ginny yelled._

_For the first time in a long time, Ginny began to cry._

_

* * *

_

**Illusions – Chapter 1**

_**A year and a half prior: November**_

_**Hermione POV**_

Hermione flipped a page of her book as she sat quietly in the common room, waiting to head out for breakfast. A giggle escaped her as a certain redhead snuck up behind her chair and leaned over it to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. Hermione smirked as Ginny came around to stand in front, offering her hand. Taking Ginny's outreached hand to stand, Hermione gave her a sidelong glance over the cheesy gesture, but succumbed to more laughter.

"Morning," Hermione smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

The redhead gave her a nod. "Very. How about you?"

Turning around, Hermione gathered up her things as she responded. "Quite well. I was just exhausted after rounds last night. Some of the third year Slytherins were causing problems," she explained, earning a look of concern from Ginny. "It worked out fine, though," Hermione assured.

She laced her fingers with Ginny's and turned to face Harry and Ron who had been chatting amongst themselves. "Ready to go?" She asked.

"Oh, are you quite done, then?" Ron asked sardonically as he stood. Even though it had been nearly three months since Hermione and Ginny had started dating, he never passed up a chance to tease them.

"Come on, Ronald," Ginny said lightly as she drew out his name, knowing very well how much it would irk him.

"Bloody Hell," he grumbled as Harry pushed him along towards the portrait hole.

As they entered the Great Hall a short while later, Hermione had to roll her eyes as a couple of girls shot icy stares her way.

"I don't know if these girls are ever going to get used to the idea of you being unavailable," Hermione said under her breath as she and Ginny proceeded to an empty spot at the Gryffindor table.

The younger girl chuckled lightly and said, "Well, I'd say they've toned things down since word got around that I hexed Daphne Greengrass for tripping you."

Hermione scowled at the memory of Daphne tripping her on their way out of Potions one day a month or so back. As Hermione was Head Girl this year, she took great joy in deducting a generous amount of points from Slytherin for Daphne's little trick. The brunette's expression softened as she remembered her initial confusion as Daphne blurted out a hurried, jittery apology the following day, Hermione only later discovering that Daphne had been on the receiving end of a nasty Bat-Bogey Hex from a certain redhead. If Daphne didn't already know that it wasn't well-advised to attack Head Girl, she certainly learned her lesson through other means.

Hermione's attention was brought back to the present as Luna came to sit with them. The group entered into idle conversation as they each helped themselves to the food that was so generously laid out across the table. The brunette was about to ask Luna how her Transfiguration classes were going when her attention was momentarily drawn away by a flurry of activity originating from the upper portion of the Great Hall, recognizing it as the morning post arriving.

A beat passed and Hermione recommitted to questioning Luna. The seventh year was mid-sentence when mild surprise urged her to stop as a letter dropped down next to her. She turned in question and frowned slightly at Ginny who was holding the just-arrived letter. Hermione's eyes were immediately drawn to the wax seal on the letter - it was the Ministry's official emblem.

"Maybe it's from Dad," Ginny guessed as she turned the letter over in her hands. "Maybe he sent it from work."

Hermione watched intently as, with a shrug, Ginny opened the envelope and pulled out a letter that the brunette instantly knew wasn't from Mr. Weasley. An uneasy feeling began to form in the pit of Hermione's stomach as she read the letter over Ginny's shoulder. Hermione didn't even realize her breathing begin to slow as the contents of the letter struck home.

What Ginny held in her hands was an official court summons from the Ministry. All it stated was that Lucius Malfoy had filed an assault charge against Ginny on behalf of Draco. The summons cited the date that they were all in Diagon Alley at the Cauldron and it called for Ginny's expulsion from Hogwarts if she was found guilty. According to the document, Ginny's court date was November 30 and until then she was on academic probation. In the post-script it indicated that copies had been mailed to Dumbledore and Ginny's parents.

Hermione frowned deeply as a series of questions erupted inside of her mind. All that came out of her mouth though was a vacant, "How? How did - I thought Moody-"

One form of distress was swiftly replaced with another as Ginny shot up from her seat and began to storm across the Hall toward the Slytherin table. Hermione found herself confused and immobile for a split second, shocked by the abrupt and nearly violent action, before she tore after the redhead - Harry, Ron, and Luna right next to her.

Ron and Harry caught up to Ginny before she could reach Draco, but they found themselves having to physically restrain her. Though Hermione was relieved that the boys had a hold of Ginny, it didn't stop the younger girl from struggling against them and yelling angrily across the way at Draco. Hermione vaguely noted that the entire Hall had grown still and all were now raptly watching the exchange. She swiftly stepped forward and laid a gentle, yet firm hand upon her lover's shoulder.

"Gin, I know you're really upset, but now is not the time," Hermione said in a hushed voice, but ensured to make pointed eye contact with the furious redhead.

Ginny's wrestling slowly ceased and the boys hesitantly released their hold on her. Hermione could easily tell that while Ginny had committed to not getting physical, she was still seething mad - rightfully so. The brunette's eyes snapped towards the Slytherin table and narrowed in disdain at the voice that garnered her attention.

"Professor! Professor! Weasley, here, threatened me!" Draco called out as he waved urgently at Professor Snape.

"So I see, Draco," Professor Snape drawled before shifting his eyes towards Ginny, locking them on her. "You would be wise to sit down, Miss Weasley," he warned in his slow, purposeful way.

Hermione could see that her girlfriend was about to blurt out a retort and the brunette gave Ginny's shoulder a light squeeze. Ginny relaxed underneath the brunette's touch and the group started to walk away when Professor Snape's voice caught their attention once more, surprising them.

"And Mr. Malfoy," he said, directing his gaze towards the boy in question, "I would be a little less loud next time about being so threatened by a girl, a younger girl, no less."

Harry and Ron burst out laughing as Draco grew red in the face and busied himself with finishing his breakfast - the usual din within the Great Hall restored. Upon spotting the glare of warning Professor Snape shot at them, the group rushed back to their seats and sat down. All that is, except for Ginny.

Hermione had her arm around the redhead and was about to sit them down when Ginny stalked right on and headed for the large, double-doors of the Great Hall. Shooting a worried look at her friends, Hermione quickly took off after her girlfriend, jogging briefly to catch up.

"Ginny," she called, not needing to raise her voice now that they were in an empty corridor.

The redhead continued to walk on purposefully, before slowing to a stop a moment later and reluctantly turning around, her hands propped up on her waist, her expression sombre.

"Ginny," Hermione repeated, softly this time, as she came to a stop in front of the younger girl and placed a hand upon her arm. "Please don't worry. Dumbledore won't let anything happen. **I**, won't let anything happen," she promised.

Hermione looked to Ginny for a response, but the redhead merely clenched her jaw, visibly incensed and casting her gaze elsewhere.

"Hey," Hermione comforted as she brought up her other hand up to cup Ginny's face, urging the girl to look at her. With some resistance, Ginny finally met Hermione's gaze and her expression softened considerably. "It's going to be okay, Gin," the brunette assured her before leaning forward and planting a kiss on Ginny's forehead. "Don't worry, we'll handle this."

Ginny exhaled heavily and tilted her head forward so that it rested against Hermione's, bringing her arms down to rest around the brunette's waist. "Thanks, 'Mione," she sighed.

The older girl smiled as she felt Ginny relax and begin to gently caress Hermione's back. From the look on the redhead's face, she was still far from relieved and was deep in thought, but she had at least calmed down somewhat.

"As soon as classes are over today, we'll speak with Dumbledore. Then we'll owl your parents and we can go from there," Hermione said, feeling Ginny nod slowly. "You have lots of support. No one's going to let this go through." Ginny nodded again and pulled Hermione further into a hug.

Hermione continued to attempt to comfort Ginny, but was interrupted by the bell, signalling the beginning of the day's classes. Insisting on walking the sixth year to her first class, Hermione reluctantly left Ginny's side and rushed back to the other side of the school, barely making it to her Arithmancy class on time. Though she was as outwardly-diligent as ever in class, her mind was elsewhere. She had to come up with a plan.

* * *

As promised, after classes were over, Hermione accompanied Ginny to Professor Dumbledore's office and spoke with him about the girl's predicament. He was patient and kind, as Hermione had anticipated. He was also able to provide them with a few more details on how the charge came about. Apparently, though Moody's memory charm was effective, it didn't prevent witnesses from eventually questioning Lucius on the incident. As soon as he was alerted to the altercation, he had someone at the Ministry undo Moody's memory charm - a specialist being needed as the memory charm was so thoroughly cast. Ginny and Hermione had shared a nervous glance with one another, both thinking about Luna's involvement in this scenario, but the professor, being his ever-omniscient self, had assured them that Luna was safe. Hermione smiled fondly as Ginny asserted that she'd never let Luna take the fall anyhow, even if she had been dragged into this mess.

Eventually, the Headmaster had sent them on their way, only after he promised to accompany Ginny to her trial and reiterated with a twinkle in his eye that everything would be fine.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked as they paused to talk a few corridors away from Dumbledore's quarters.

Ginny grunted an unreadable noise and shrugged her shoulders, but offered Hermione a smirk. "Not bad. I still think Moody should've shoved Malfoy in the deepest, darkest recesses of Azkaban, never to be seen again, but that's just me."

Hermione gave her girlfriend a playful nudge. "Gin, you know he couldn't do that."

"I know," Ginny replied exaggeratedly. "This is just so stupid," she sighed. "Okay, maybe**, maybe**,I shouldn't have punched his lights out, but honestly, he's the bad guy here. The Ministry doesn't know what he said to you...," she trailed off.

Hermione pulled Ginny into a hug and kissed the side of her head, though her mind wandered back to the slurs that Draco had shot her way. "Don't worry, we can tell them at the trial. The Malfoys won't get away with this, okay?" Hermione said as she pulled back and held Ginny at arm's length to catch her eye, requiring the girl's confirmation. Eventually, Ginny gave her a light chuckle and nodded her agreement.

"Good," Hermione said quietly, still holding Ginny's gaze. The brunette offered her a gentle smile before leaning in and kissing Ginny on the lips, letting the kiss linger as her hand came up to caress the back of the younger girl's neck.

Hermione let out a small, weary sigh as she pulled back. The frown she was giving the redhead clearly drew confusion from the girl as she looked on perplexed.

"This is my fault," Hermione confessed. "You would've never gotten into that scuffle with Draco if it wasn't for me."

Ginny frowned and eyed Hermione with conviction. "I don't regret what I did. Never mind this whole 'shouldn't have hit him' rubbish, he needed to be taught a lesson and I was more than happy to deliver."

Hermione sighed once more. "I know, but I'm at the center of this, you shouldn't be taking the blame."

The younger girl rolled her eyes while folding her arms across her chest. "No. I told you before, I'm the one who lost my temper. You didn't make me do anything. And besides," she smirked and her cheeks grew a pale shade of pink as she reached out and toyed with Hermione's hand, "I kind of credit the whole incident to us finally getting together. And for that, I could never, ever be sorry for my actions."

A smile crossed Hermione's features as she gave in a little and put her arms around the back of Ginny's neck - the action prompting Ginny to wrap her arms around Hermione's waist.

"I'm not asking you to regret your actions or be sorry for them," the brunette insisted gently, "it's just...not fair." She gave a short, empty laugh before saying, "And honestly, none of this mess would've happened if I wasn't so neurotic and quick to jump to conclusions about you and Demelza last year. I-"

"Stop," Ginny interjected with a deep frown. "It's over and done with and there's no point in placing blame. I know you feel terrible about it, but I wish you wouldn't. We're together now."

They'd had this discussion before, quite a bit actually when they first began dating. And while Hermione didn't think about it so much anymore, how could she not under these circumstances?

With reluctance, Hermione nodded her head. "You're right. Well, let's focus on getting through this. Are you going to send a letter to your parents?"

"Yeah, I should probably do that now," Ginny said as she checked her watch.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Hermione asked.

"Nah, I'm okay. And thank you for being so sweet about this whole thing."

"You're more than welcome," Hermione replied sincerely. "Well, if you're sure you don't want me to come with you, I'm going to make a detour and stop off at the library." After receiving a nod of confirmation from Ginny, the older girl carried on. "I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Absolutely," Ginny nodded.

With another kiss and a hug, the girls parted ways. Hermione watched Ginny leave until the girl rounded the corner and was out of sight. She was still worried about Ginny, but was actually thankful that Ginny didn't request that she come with her to the owlery. The brunette was eager to start on a project that she didn't necessarily need or want Ginny involved with - at least at this point. Turning on her heel, Hermione headed straight for the library, well prepared for the long night she had ahead of her.

* * *

Hermione walked purposefully down the corridor, doing her best to blink away her tiredness. She had spent almost the entire night with her nose stuck in the charmed book that Ginny had given her over summer. She had stayed in the library until Madame Pince literally forced her out, only then doing a hurried set of rounds, begrudgingly fulfilling her Head Girl duties. Afterward, she retreated to her room and continued her research, thankful for the privacy her Head Girl status had afforded her in terms of room arrangements.

Another perk to being Head Girl is that she was one of the few who knew the password to Dumbledore's quarters. She stood in front of the gargoyle statue, took a steadying breath and stated the password. She would normally never barge into his office this way, but this was regarding Ginny and that was important enough in Hermione's mind.

The statue moved aside and she entered to stand on the steps and waited as they revolved upwards, taking her to Dumbledore's quarters. She examined the stone walls in an effort to busy herself during the short wait and when the turning stopped she confidently stepped out into his office.

"Professor, I hate to distur-Oh," Hermione said in surprise as her sure steps came to an abrupt stop upon seeing Dumbledore deep in conversation with a man in formal garb. She stammered through an apology until Dumbledore raised his hand, requesting silence. Hermione expected to see a displeased look on his face, but instead found him looking at her with a hint of a smile.

"Please, come in Miss Granger," he beckoned, directing her to a seat next to his guest. "I'm sure you don't mind a bit of a break, do you?" Dumbledore asked, directing the question to the man, who Hermione absently noted was holding a dress hat.

"I'm really sorry," Hermione apologized, looking at both of them, positive that she looked much like a child who just spilled a glass of milk. She cursed herself for being so impatient and somehow coming to the conclusion that barging into Dumbledore's office was the right thing to do.

"Not to worry," Dumbledore smiled, "it's always a pleasure to see you, Miss Granger. Now, please, tell me what you have there," he continued as he gestured to the stack of parchment that Hermione held in her lap.

"Are you sure now is the best time?" She asked. "I could come back later..."

"Nonsense." Dumbledore dismissed the notion and gave her a smile of encouragement.

Hermione gave a cursory glance to the mystery man seated next to her, who sat patiently, not having said a single word.

"Well, I just wanted to speak to you about," she paused, looking again to the man, "Ginny's trial," she finished uncertainly, waiting for further confirmation from Dumbledore.

"Ah yes, please, go on," he insisted gently.

Hermione sent one last glance over towards the stranger, the look nearly defiant, as she didn't like this man just hanging about as she broached this topic. Nevertheless, she cleared her throat and sat up a bit straighter in her chair, feeling some of her prior confidence coming back. She went on to explain the loopholes and technicalities that would work in Ginny's favour come time for the trial, and presented the Headmaster with various defenses that they could use. A short ways into the explanation, Hermione nearly forgot about her earlier embarrassment and had carried on with her arguments as self-assured as she would have in any given class. Only after she had made her closing statement and relaxed a little into her seat did she remember the context of this conversation and she felt a blush rising onto her cheeks.

Dumbledore smiled at her and gave her a short nod. "Thank you very much for that stirring argument, Miss Granger," he said warmly, and Hermione felt her nerves tense as Dumbledore glanced at the man in the chair before returning his gaze to her. "Miss Weasley is in very good hands."

Unsure of what to say, Hermione simply nodded and thanked him for his time, and apologized once more for interrupting their conversation. The professor ignored her apology and thanked her again for stopping by. As the brunette neared the staircase, Dumbledore called out to her in mild curiosity.

"Miss Granger, will you be attending Miss Weasley's trial?"

She turned and confirmed, "Yes, sir."

"Wonderful," Dumbledore smiled. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, you have Transfiguration. Though Professor McGonagall thinks highly of you, both you and I know very well that she despises tardiness - you may want to hurry." Hermione nodded her assent. "Enjoy your day, Miss Granger."

As Hermione walked briskly towards her classroom, her mind struggled to comprehend just what had happened back there in the Headmaster's office. The exchange had been awkward and unusual, certainly. However, though Dumbledore's behaviour usually erred on the enigmatic side, this recent exchange could have been more accurately described as cryptic. By the time she settled herself into her seat and readied her wand, her mind had still not come to a conclusion about what happened, but she was sure that Dumbledore had something up his sleeve.

**AN**: Well, here is the first chapter! This story is set to cover more time than 'So Close Yet So Far' and, admittedly, it will be different. While I can't guarantee the same continuous torture as in the previous story, from the teaser opening, you may notice that things won't be all stars and rainbows for the girls (though I must outright confess that they will have a number of 'cute' moments together. Hey, they went through quite the struggle, they deserve a bit of fluff :p). Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed the introduction. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_**Ginny POV**_

A week later, Ginny and Hermione sat in the stands watching Harry lead the quidditch team through a practice. Everyone on the pitch was aware that Ginny wasn't supposed to even be sitting in the stands, but Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall had made a quiet exception and permitted her to watch.

Ginny sighed heavily and wearily rest her head in her hand that was propped up on her knee. She gave a sideways glance coupled with a small smirk to Hermione who placed a comforting hand on her leg, giving a reassuring squeeze.

"You'll be back out there in no time," Hermione patiently reminded her.

"I guess," Ginny conceded as she crossed her arms across her lap and leaned forward to watch a bit closer as the chasers, minus her, dipped in and out of formation. "Doesn't make sitting out any easier. I'm going to miss the Slytherin game for Merlin's sake," she pouted, knowing that her constant griping must be getting on Hermione's nerves by now.

"So should I be rooting for Gryffindor to win or lose in your absence," the brunette teased.

"Win," Ginny exclaimed. "Though, there should be a noticeable void in the team without me there," she noted in concession.

Hermione smirked and rubbed Ginny's knee, "I think you got your wish," she commented as she nodded to the pitch where one of the new chasers, substituting for the sixth year, had just dropped the quaffle.

Ginny smiled smugly, not out of spite, but knowing that it would get a reaction out of her girlfriend. Sure enough, Hermione admonished the redhead and nudged her, giving a pointed look that couldn't mask her disapproving amusement.

"You're not flying close enough!" Ginny yelled as she cupped her hands around her mouth.

Harry manoeuvred his broom to face her and waved her off. "I'm sorry, did you want to coach?"

"Yes, thank you!" The redhead called out across the pitch in retort. She could see Harry's smirk in the distance and he turned away, blowing the whistle and ordering them to redo the play.

Ginny groaned as the play went awry again. "This is driving me crazy," she growled through gritted teeth and only barely heeded Hermione's requests to calm down. "Harry's great, but he's not a chaser," Ginny stated before rising from her seat and bounding down the rows to the banister. "Demelza!" She called, waving the girl over.

Demelza looked over, seemingly surprised and flew over after a moment's hesitation.

"What's up?" She asked as she slowed to a stop just in front of Ginny.

"You're doing all the heavy lifting out there, hey?" Ginny joked, receiving an appreciative, if not tentative, laugh from her fellow chaser and ex, the two having had an oddly easy time settling into a truce at the start of the new school year. "I think Erica needs a bit of encouragement. She looks afraid to fly too close to you or anyone and anything else for that matter. She's too far away to react in time for the plays," Ginny said, looking for any signs that Demelza agreed.

"Yeah, I think you're right," the dark-haired girl said as she glanced back at the other chaser before turning back to face Ginny. The fleeting look that Demelza cast over Ginny's head didn't go unnoticed by the redhead, knowing Demelza was gauging Hermione's reaction to the two of them talking.

"Hey," Demelza said in a hurried breath, suddenly looking a bit tenser. Ginny looked intently at her ex and waited for her to speak. "Um, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about the whole Ministry deal," Demelza continued a bit quieter than before. "I hope it turns out okay for you."

Ginny nodded as she tried to determine whether there was anything more to read into regarding the girl's statement. "Thanks, Demelza. I appreciate it. I hope it goes well, too. I think it might - I have some good people on my side, at least."

Demelza gave her a smile that was a little bit tight and nodded her head a bit vigorously, her nervous laugh ringing in the air. "Right," she said as her eyes flashed unmistakeably over Ginny's shoulder, "I know. Well," she paused awkwardly for a second before making eye contact and smiling affably, "I guess I'll go try to string this play together."

Ginny smiled. "You know what to do."

"Thanks," Demelza replied with a nod before flying back out to join the rest of the players.

Okay, perhaps things between them weren't entirely easy. However, all things considered, they weren't half bad.

Without another glance toward Demelza, Ginny turned and jogged back up to join Hermione, who gave her a small smile.

"Think they're going to pull it together?" Hermione asked, her voice light and attention focused on the activity on the pitch. Yet, Ginny knew better - finally, she wouldn't have last year.

"They'll be fine," she said and leaned over to kiss Hermione's cheek. The small gesture caused the brunette to look over and eventually gave a hint of a sheepish grin. Ginny kissed her once more and reached over, lacing her fingers with Hermione's. After a short while, Ginny felt the older girl subtly relax and they settled in to watch the remainder of practice.

As the team landed on the pitch and marched to the locker room, Ginny saw Harry signalling for her to come down.

"Wanna come with?" Ginny asked as she and Hermione stood, fingers still entwined.

"That's alright," the brunette answered with a shake of her head. "I'll save us some seats in the Hall," she said as she picked up her book bag, still the same one that Ginny gave her last year.

"Okay," the younger girl nodded her assent. "I'll be quick," she promised as she gave Hermione's hand a faint squeeze and descended the stairs down to the pitch where she could access the locker rooms.

After speaking with the team, giving her insights and briefly discussing future tactics, Ginny walked with Ron and Harry to the Great Hall where Hermione was waiting patiently for them.

"Hi, Love," Ginny greeted as she sat down next to Hermione while giving her a fleeting kiss on the cheek before piling food onto her plate. "Miss me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but indulged Ginny in a faint smirk, removing her free hand from the table and placing it on the redhead's leg. "How'd it go?"

"Blimey," Ron snorted in mild disgust. "I almost miss when you guys **weren't** together. All this lovey-dovey rubbish is making me lose my appetite."

"Please, Ron," Hermione said in a flat voice. "You expect us to believe that you could **ever** lose your appetite? Next week you'll find me on the cover of Quidditch Weekly, I'm sure."

"Ignore my miserable brother," Ginny advised dryly as she gave him a dark, yet playful stare. "He's just miserable because Katie's not around anymore."

"Watch it," Ron warned. "You're going to be in this very same boat next year when Hermione's gone**, plus **us."

"Oh, 'cause I'm severely lacking in friends," Ginny retorted. "Although, I will miss you dreadfully," Ginny stated with puppy-dog eyes aimed at her curly-haired companion.

"I'll miss you, too, Gin," Hermione said with exaggerated patience followed up by a laugh, knowing that Ginny was just trying to get Ron riled up.

"Argh!" Ron exclaimed. "Now they're even worse," he said with a shudder.

"Just eat your food, you bloody prat," Ginny laughed.

* * *

November 30th came shockingly fast, yet unbelievably slow. Though it was a school day, Dumbledore had granted Hermione permission to have the day off, and the never-tardy, always-present Head Girl had taken him up on his offer with so little hesitation that it surprised Ginny. Despite the nerve-racking situation that the youngest Weasley was currently in, she felt a warm kind of comfort and safety at being surrounded by the people who waited outside the courtroom with her.

Her parents and Hermione were here, of course. Dumbledore, always true to his word, had left Professor McGonagall temporarily in charge of Hogwarts and had come here to the lower levels of the Ministry to provide support. Even Mad-Eye Moody was here, though Ginny knew that had much more to do with the fact that he was required to show up since he was the one responsible for the memory charms.

Ginny sat in one of the hard, wooden chairs lining the wall of the corridor, biting her lower lip nervously and absently kicking at the marble floor with her rarely worn dress-shoes.

"Mum!" She whispered harshly as her mother reached over for what had to be the tenth time to straighten Ginny's blouse and hair. She knew her mom was just doing it out of anxiousness, but all this fussing was starting to get her all worked up as well.

"Molly," her father chided, "leave her be," he said gently as he came over from where he was talking with Dumbledore and Moody, to rest a hand on his wife's arm, flashing her a reassuring smile. He then turned to Ginny and quietly told her, "Ms. Blake isn't presiding over your trial anymore - last minute change. The replacement is a guaranteed win; he's had a long running dislike of the Malfoys."

Ginny forced herself to smile up at her dad. She knew she should find great relief and comfort in his words, but for some reason, the knot in her stomach only grew bigger each time anyone mentioned the trial in any capacity. Everyone had been really supportive, even Moody offered her a bit of comfort, simply grunting that he'd been to court for worse and this was nothing but a slap on the wrist. However, Ginny just couldn't relax.

The sound of a chair scraping on the floor drew Ginny's, along with everyone else's, attention and they all turned to see Hermione, who was growing very red in the face, but now sitting close enough to Ginny that their shoulders and knees touched.

"Sorry," Hermione whispered, before giving the younger girl a cursory glance.

Once the adults returned to their previous conversations Ginny felt comfortable enough to lean just slightly into the subtle contact that she had with the other girl. Though they were out at school, they were not out to Ginny's parents, or Hermione's for that matter, and had to keep their displays of affection to a minimum on this excursion.

"Dumbledore is here, you have nothing to worry about," Hermione said. Her voice was hushed but held enough conviction that Ginny found the knot in her stomach actually shrinking - just a tad. She looked over at her girlfriend and the care and concern in the brunette's eyes were plain to Ginny and she relaxed just a touch more, giving the older girl a grateful smile.

Hermione had been truly wonderful throughout this whole debacle. She had been encouraging and had provided unwavering support. She had even helped Ginny plan a defense for today and had rehearsed it with her numerous times without so much as a complaint or hint of impatience. Ginny wished that she could kiss her right now, but knew that she couldn't.

A comfortable lull formed between them and it was a short while later that Hermione discretely leaned over and whispered, "This is probably slightly inappropriate, but you look really great in that outfit."

Ginny looked at her companion, bewildered. "No, not the right time - but thanks, I'll keep that in mind," unable to stop a smirk from eventually forming across her lips.

They smiled quietly at one another when suddenly the large courtroom doors opened with a sound that reverberated down the mostly empty corridor.

"Weasley, Ginevra!" A man in black robes called out, eyeing their group.

Fear coursed through Ginny and any remaining colour that was in her face drained promptly away as she stood, unable to help herself from looking to Dumbledore for guidance. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded towards the courtroom, beckoning her.

As she started to walk, Hermione fell into step beside her, walking flush against her, and sneaking her hand into Ginny's to offer a squeeze of encouragement before departing for the stands.

A cold shiver ran through Ginny as her girlfriend walked away, leaving her feeling scared and unsure. With another look to Dumbledore, Ginny made her way into the center of the barren court room and sat down in the oversized chair. If the whole situation wasn't enough to make her feel intimated, just sitting in that chair made her feel incredibly small and powerless. She looked up uncertainly at the man who was seated in the booth directly across from her, but up high enough that he was heads above everyone else in the room and Ginny had to tilt her head just so to center him in her line of vision.

As the judge quickly flipped through some documents, Ginny took a quick look around the darkened room. Dumbledore had remained standing next to her, though a few feet off, but the rest of her support group were far off to the right and a bit behind her. They smiled nervously at her, though she was sure they meant to appear confident. The opposite side of the stands housed a single man in Ministry robes. Ginny didn't know who he was, but he seemed somewhat out of place and looked quite relaxed, a sharp contrast to herself, her parents and Hermione.

The time that Ginny served under question went by in a blur. She did her best to sound confident, channelling as much of her Gryffindor bravery as she could. She surprised herself with how little she stumbled over her words, despite not being very cognitively aware of what she was saying. She couldn't really read the judge's reactions to her statements, maybe because she was focusing too much of her energies on appearing composed, but by the time Dumbledore patiently signalled for her to retreat to the stands, she had no idea if she had incriminated herself or pulled off a good performance.

With poise, she hoped, Ginny walked calmly over to her family and Hermione, all the while chanting inwardly to not break out into a skittish run like she wanted to. With an overwhelming rush of relief, she climbed into the stands and took up a seat between her mum and Hermione - both women putting their arms around her simultaneously and her dad reaching across to pat her on the shoulder.

There was a bit of a shuffle as Moody took the stand and Hermione took the opportunity to lean in, Ginny feeling the girl's lips brush against her ear, and whispered, "You did great, Gin. Really great. I'm proud of you," and pulled the redhead towards her in a subtle sideways hug.

Ginny almost had to laugh at how painless this process seemed for Moody, who responded to the interrogation in his normal gruff manner, and managing to sound annoyed and bored. Afterward, Dumbledore put in a short word providing essentially a character reference for Ginny and she felt extraordinarily lucky to have such great support.

Before she could feel too confident though, the judge gestured to the man at the door, and in walked Lucius and Draco. With a look of disdain, Lucius fleetingly cast his gaze upon Ginny and her family, Hermione included, before greeting the judge with a slight bow and a stream of false pleasantries. Draco was less gracious and swaggered to the chair and sat down looking much like he considered it a throne more than anything else.

Draco's account of the incident was as shameless as Ginny should have expected, but no amount of preparation could stop the rage from bubbling up within her. However, she was more than well aware of how now was definitely not the time to let on that she had a **bit** of a temper. Somewhere in the back of her mind she made the amused observation that her mother was itching in her skin to lash out at the brat as well.

After a short deliberation, the judge looked across the court room to Ginny. She was hardly aware that she stopped mid-breath and waited for him to speak further.

"The Ministry dismisses Ginevra Weasley of all charges," he announced, and relieved murmurs came from Ginny's portion of the stands. She ignored the scoffs and protests at injustice coming from Draco, whose father appeared furious, but remained silent.

"However," the judge continued, speaking up to be heard over the rush of chatter, "Miss Weasley, please consider this an official warning. If you find yourself in here again, you will not be awarded the same allowance."

Ginny nodded earnestly, "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," she said, not breaking eye contact with him and was too nervous to even blink.

"Very well, have a good day. Case dismissed," the judge stated as he rose and left the booth to walk through a door hidden just behind, and was followed out by the Court Scribe.

Ginny finally released the breath that had caught in her throat earlier and she slouched dramatically in relief of this nightmare being over. She was promptly swallowed up by hugs and congratulations.

After the sensation of the win died down, they climbed out of the stands and onto the open floor. Ginny bit back a derisive laugh as the Malfoys stormed past them and out of the room.

Moody was quick to walk over and restate, "See, told you it was nothing. Say my 'hellos' to Potter and Lovegood," before giving her a very firm handshake and departing down the hall.

Ginny smiled once more and turned to Hermione again, now free from the confines of the stands. The brunette returned an excited smile and scooped Ginny up in an enthusiastic hug, and both girls made an effort to not linger too long in the embrace. Both reluctantly pulled back, blushing, but smiling at the moment.

The redhead turned sharply as Dumbledore cleared his throat next to her, Hermione turning just as abruptly. He smiled kindly at them and he congratulated Ginny on her win.

"Thank you, Professor. I really appreciate you coming down here to support me - it means so much," she said sincerely, receiving an amused smile from him and a subtle nod.

Only when the Headmaster nodded did Ginny notice that the unknown man that she spotted in the stands earlier was now standing behind Dumbledore, waiting patiently, holding his hat behind his back. As Ginny made eye contact with him, he stepped out from behind the professor, offering Ginny a brief congratulation before turning to Hermione.

"-but the true congratulations belong to Miss Granger, here, for her sharp work."

Ginny couldn't help but arch an eyebrow in confusion as she looked to her girlfriend for a hint of what was going on. Ginny watched as Hermione gave him a short nod. Though not as perplexed as Ginny was, the younger girl could still tell that Hermione had some questions of her own.

"I should properly introduce myself this time," he went on, still speaking to Hermione. "My name is Jacob Noirent. Miss Granger, I would appreciate it if you could spare a few minutes of your time and meet with myself and Professor Dumbledore in my office - there are some matters I wish to discuss with you."

**AN:** Thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in the sequel - I really appreciate the faith lol. I imagine some weren't expecting Ginny's trial to wrap up so quickly, however, there's a lot of ground to cover in this story, so I had to move things along ;) Either way, I hope you enjoyed the update


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_**Hermione POV**_

Hermione followed Mr. Noirent with sure, swift steps that masked her growing apprehension, as he led her and Dumbledore to the fourth level of the Ministry. She had spotted the man earlier at the trial, almost immediately as she had entered. Her distrust and dislike for him had grown as she watched him observe the trial with a level of amusement. However, upon speaking with him in the courtroom, a few questions regarding the mystery man were answered, but a whole slew of new ones were introduced. Yet, judging from the quiet smile on Dumbledore's face, Hermione realized she needn't worry - still, easier said than done.

Mr. Noirent led them to his office, Hermione noting that his nameplate designated him as the Department Head of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures - instantly, the brunette's mind began to run rampant. Once inside the office, he gestured to Hermione and Dumbledore to take a seat. The professor sat down, looking comfortable and at ease, while Hermione took her seat a bit slower and with hesitation that she struggled to overcome.

The Department Head sat down in his chair, looking across his desk at the two, giving them both a welcoming smile that hinted at him knowing a secret that they weren't, or at least Hermione, wasn't privy to.

"Thank you for taking the time to see me, Miss Granger," he said in a tone that seemed quite genuine to the brunette, and she felt herself settling into her seat - just slightly.

"You're welcome," Hermione nodded, not finding it in her to offer him a smile just yet.

"You must be wondering what's going on," he said with a bit of a smirk. She merely gave him a curt nod in return. "Well, you may have guessed that we're in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures right now - we call it "R and C" for short, up here." Hermione gave him another nod, slightly uncertain this time. "As I said before, my name is Jacob Noirent, and I'm the Department Head. And I must say that it's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Granger," he finished, smiling warmly at her.

"Nice to see you again, too, sir," Hermione replied out of politeness, though she certainly didn't regard their first 'meeting' as a meeting at all.

"The argument you gave back in Professor Dumbledore's office a few weeks back was very impressive, especially for someone so young. And," he added, "it appeared to be highly effective." He gestured with his hand into the air, and Hermione could only assume he meant the use of some of her points in today's trial.

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said while looking to Dumbledore out of the corner of her eye for any signs as to what was going on. He merely gave her a quiet nod and smiled encouragingly.

Mr. Noirent went on. "The Ministry is starting up a new project in France in fall of next year. It's going to be a big project, involving the collaboration between three departments from the British Ministry, along with several from the French Ministry, but it is highly exclusive - few are being brought on," he explained, and Hermione subconsciously leaned forward in her chair, looking to him intently.

"You see, there's been a push by the French Ministry to change the labour laws for house-elves-" Hermione's eyes lit up as the walls of her defenses were chipped away by anticipation, and he smiled "-and you've been personally recommended by members of the staff at Hogwarts when I asked for a list of potential interns. You're interested in house-elf rights, am I correct?"

Hermione nodded eagerly. "Very much so, sir."

"That's great to hear. Our Ministry was approached by their Ministry to help, and I have to admit there's been some...resistance, but I've been able to secure the funds to get a small team out there to assist the French Ministry. Most importantly, though, the Minister supports the project - Mr. Scrimgeour's eager to strengthen relations with France and this is the perfect opportunity to do so," he announced, looking rather pleased. "If this movement is successful out there, it could change things for house-elves internationally. I would be very happy if you applied for this internship, Miss Granger." Hermione willed her jaw not to drop. "The deadline for applications is January 1st," he stated as he produced a few sheets of parchment from his desk drawer and handed them to her.

She absently examined the front page, which was merely a large picture of the Ministry's symbol and the words 'House-Elves Rights and Regulations Initiative: Junior Policy Analyst Application'.

"Long title, I know," he chuckled. "Great to see you again, Dumbledore. Pleasure to see you again Miss Granger, I hope this is not the last time we meet."

With that, he rose from his seat and extended his hand to Hermione, who relied entirely upon instincts to return the gesture. Wordlessly, she followed Dumbledore out of Mr. Noirent's office in her stunned state.

Eventually, she looked to Dumbledore in absolute disbelief. He smiled at her and said simply, "Great opportunity."

She had so many questions bouncing around in her head, one question creating another until it was just a tangled web. She just didn't even know where to begin. Excitement lingered in the back of her head, though quickly halted by thoughts of her and Ginny. What would this mean for them?

Hermione hadn't noticed that she had rudely not responded to the Headmaster, until he spoke once more, his eyes and voice indicating that he'd completely disregarded the unintentional rebuff.

"Miss Weasley is lucky to be with someone who considers her wants and needs as much as their own. Understandably, Miss Weasley is quite smitten with you and she's a smart girl and thoughts of your future together have probably crossed her mind."

Hermione lowered her head, suddenly feeling both embarrassed and foolish. She let Dumbledore herd her into the service lift and she held onto the strap as the lift jolted to life and sent them off.

"Though she has a bit of a temper," Dumbledore went on with a hint of a smile in his voice, "overall, she is quite a reasonable young woman. Most of all, she cares deeply for you."

Hermione gave him a grateful smile that bordered on watery before thanking him. With people like Dumbledore and Luna Lovegood around, who needed rubbish like Divination to tell you the truths of the world.

The service lift came to a stop and the professor stepped out, Hermione realizing that they had arrived at the Atrium. She was about to step out, having grown comfortable to just following Dumbledore, when he stopped her.

"I believe Miss Weasley is waiting for you in her father's office," he smiled, and gave her a knowing look.

"Oh-of course, thank you," Hermione smiled sheepishly as she took a step back further into the service lift. "Thank you, for everything," she said sincerely, locking eyes with the wise and ever-kind Headmaster.

"You're the one who did all the work," he said lightly. "See you back at Hogwarts," he bid as he turned to leisurely walk towards the floo network.

Hermione followed him with her gaze for a few short moments before sighing deeply and readying herself for the lift to bring her up.

She walked in a bit of a daze to Mr. Weasley's office. She was only a few steps outside of his office before she gathered her wits and hurriedly put away the papers that Mr. Noirent had given her. She took a moment to try to compose herself and began to prepare her responses for the questions she was sure would come. As she entered Mr. Weasley's office with a knock, despite the door being open, she spotted Ginny waiting nervously for her.

"What happened? Are you okay? Dad said that guy is the head of the Ministry's Magical Creatures department!" The redhead blurted out in a rush, causing Hermione to release a great deal of tension in an amused laugh, and continued to smile fondly at her girlfriend.

"I'm fine, honestly. He just wanted to compliment me on the arguments I brought forth for your trial. Nothing major."

Ginny looked at her sceptically, and Hermione quickly noticed that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were looking at her with similar expressions.

Hermione relented somewhat and explained, "Well, he said that I should consider a career in that branch."

This explanation seemed to satisfy the Weasleys, and the brunette was enveloped in congratulatory words of praise, pats on the back and hugs. Ginny looked the most excited, more so than Hermione, herself, looking absolutely thrilled by this new development.

Hermione couldn't enjoy the moment the same as the rest, there was so much weighing on her mind right now. She wanted to tell Ginny the whole thing, but Hermione felt she needed to research this opportunity a bit further. She couldn't bring it up lightly, and there was no point in mentioning it and jeopardizing their still relatively new relationship if she wasn't even going to pursue this opportunity. However, she inwardly committed to tell Ginny the full story over the holidays, whether she had rationalized things any more or not.

* * *

Much to Ginny's chagrin, soon they were headed back to Hogwarts. They arrived just as dinner had become available and they sat down with their very eager, very curious friends. Hermione was thankful that Ginny was in such high spirits and consequently chatty, as she fielded all the questions directed their way and provided the Head Girl with the opportunity to attempt to sort through her thoughts.

If Harry, Luna and Ron didn't already know the outcome of the trial through Ginny, then they would certainly know by the sour mood Draco appeared to be in, having returned to Hogwarts as well and was currently shooting nasty looks at them from across the hall.

Though still caught up in her own torrent of thoughts, Hermione noted that Ginny was in the middle of bragging to everyone about Hermione's meeting with Mr. Noirent when a tawny owl flew into the Great Hall, gaining everyone's attention.

"That's odd," Ron commented as they watched it swooping in, carrying a small parcel. It circled over Draco momentarily before dropping the package into his hands.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look before turning their attention back to Draco who looked just as puzzled as everyone else. Eventually he announced, rather proud and boisterously, "Must be from my father. He's well aware of how crooked our justice system is and knows how upset I am," shooting a look towards the pair that didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

Hermione watched curiously as he opened the parcel to reveal a golden snitch. Through the murmurs, she heard that his name was engraved on it and after rolling it around in his hands, the wings spread and they were the colours of Slytherin House. It took off out of his hand and flew in playful circles around his head. He smiled smugly and reached out to grab it.

Upon contact, the snitch exploded in a giant plum of purple smoke and confetti rained down upon a large portion of the Slytherin table, pulling a collective gasp out of all the students and staff in the hall. A smaller snitch emerged from the chaos and flew up towards the ceiling, a trail of fireworks behind it, and wrote out, "Always a winner" before it, too, exploded into a smaller puff of smoke.

Hermione just stared at the whole display, her mouth open in shock and mild, though suppressed amusement wasn't far beneath the surface. She heard Ginny and Ron snort in laughter, and soon the initial plume of smoke dissipated enough for everyone to see Draco's face and hair covered in soot, the whites of his wide eyes a sharp contrast to the rest of his face now. Everyone else at the table, however, appeared to be unscathed.

"Who did this," Professor Snape demanded, as he stalked over and rummaged through whatever scraps of the gift he could, but appeared to come up with nothing.

"All that flair and desperate need for attention spells out 'Weasley' to me," he said slowly as he carefully eyed the Weasley siblings, who now stared back silently.

"Now, Severus," Dumbledore interjected as he appeared alongside Professor Snape. "How could it be either Ron or Ginny when Ginny has just moments ago returned to Hogwarts and Mr. Weasley has been helping Professor McGonagall with some prefect matters?"

From the look on Ron's face, the suggestion was a total lie.

"I will accompany Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing, ensure he gets all cleaned up and is in good health. Please, everyone, return to your dinners. Everything is fine," the Headmaster announced calmly as he ushered Draco out of the hall. Professor Snape's glare lingered on Ginny and Ron a moment longer before he strode back to his spot, clearly unsatisfied with how things ended.

Hermione simply looked at the siblings with a look of disapproval that tapered off into an amused smirk.

Ginny simply looked at Ron, identical grins playing across their faces.

"I think Malfoy just received a little celebratory gift from Fred and George."

**AN**: Bit of a short chapter. Now you all know who this Mr. Noirent is and what he wants with Hermione ;) Though, perhaps a few new questions will have popped up. Next chapter the girls will be going to the Burrow for winter holidays - cue family time! I hope you enjoyed this chapter - thank you again to everyone for sticking around and adding this story under their favorites/alerts or leaving reviews. Take care, everyone.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny lay on her bed reading the Daily Prophet, oddly enough, having read the latest copy of Quidditch Weekly at least three times now. She bounced her foot impatiently as she tried to not think about Hermione's impending arrival. They had only been apart a few days, but Ginny was already missing her like crazy.

Tomorrow was Christmas and Hermione was spending time with her parents until their flight to Scotland. Having seen enough of Scotland, Hermione had decided to spend the remainder of the holidays at the Burrow. Ginny secretly hoped that the brunette was also coming because she missed her, too.

Ginny skipped over an article by Rita Skeeter, and was just starting into an article about the latest ongoings at the Ministry when her mother's voice broke through her concentration.

"Ginny! Hermione's here!"

Bounding up and off of the bed, Ginny threw open her door and rushed downstairs, slowing down to a casual sort of trot as she reached the final flight.

She stepped off the last stair and saw the familiar brunette giving Mr. Weasley a hug, her back to Ginny. She let Hermione finish greeting the rest of the Weasley clan, still remaining unspotted. Coming up behind the older girl, Ginny tapped her on the shoulder and waited for Hermione to turn around, giving the curly-haired girl her best smile.

"Ginny," Hermione exclaimed, and excitedly pulled her into a hug. The greeting filled the younger girl's chest with warmth and she hugged the brunette tightly to her, tilting her head as discretely as possible towards Hermione, and whispered, "Hi, gorgeous. I missed you."

Hermione pulled her head away from Ginny to give her a look that was probably meant to be scolding, but the smirk that played across her lips and the crimson red of her cheeks didn't leave Ginny with any sort of regret.

"Great apparition, by the way, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley cut in, smiling proudly at the Head Girl who now pulled away entirely from Ginny and thanked Mrs. Weasley rather modestly.

"Ginny's got to start her training soon," Mrs. Weasley added, giving the youngest Weasley a pointed look.

"Yes, Mum," Ginny replied flatly, earning a snicker from Ron who was still lingering in the room.

"Shut it, you," Ginny snapped and shot a glare his way. "You failed your apparition test, so I wouldn't brag."

"Yeah, well," Ron retorted, clearly looking for a witty comeback, "I passed eventually! And I wouldn't talk so fast until you actually do your test."

"Fine," Ginny said as she rolled her eyes, not wanting to have a row with Ron when she could be spending time with Hermione.

"Do you want something to drink?" Ginny asked, turning her attention to the brunette, her tone and mannerisms vastly different to what they were a second ago.

"I'm fine, thanks," the older girl chuckled.

"Well, dinner will still be a little while yet," Mrs. Weasley announced. "Feel free to get settled, I'll call you two when dinner's ready."

Ginny and Hermione gave Mrs. Weasley their thanks and headed upstairs to Ginny's room. The redhead closed the door behind them once they were inside and Hermione turned to pull the younger girl into a heated kiss.

"I missed you, too," Hermione smirked as she pulled away, still lingering in their embrace, before kissing Ginny one more time on the cheek and walking over to the spare bed to set her bag down.

"I couldn't figure out a way to push our beds together without Mum questioning me," Ginny explained as she walked over to her own bed and sat down.

"That's okay," Hermione replied, her nonchalance making Ginny pout just slightly. "We can move them at night," the brunette went on lightly.

Ginny's trace of a bad mood disappeared and she smiled up at Hermione who walked over, giving a quiet smile of her own. The seventh year sat down next to Ginny and picked up the copy of Daily Prophet that had been discarded in a hurry just minutes before.

"What has your dad said about these crackdowns at the Ministry?" Hermione asked, her brows furrowed in contemplation.

"He says it been hard on some people, and he thinks the new Head is a bit too extreme, but he says that she's been reasonable in meetings with him," Ginny explained as she examined the article in Hermione's hands.

Earlier in the year, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Pius Thicknesse, was fired after he was exposed as corrupt. He apparently had been tampering with official documents and taking bribes. Ginny's father wasn't able to tell her much more because the whole scandal was kept well under wraps, even within the Ministry, but out of it came a new Head of Magical Law Enforcement, a Miss Vivian Blake. Since she has taken over, there had been a significant increase in regulations on all levels at the Ministry. Though some argued this move, she asserted that lack of regulation and accountability was how Pius had been able to do what he did. Ginny had to admit that in a weird way it was logical - if a bit overzealous.

"I'm not entirely sure what I think of her yet," Hermione said, still deep in thought. "But, if your dad says she's okay, then she can't be too bad."

Ginny shrugged. "I guess. I think everyone's wary right now. They're intimidated by her, but like I said, Dad thinks she's somewhat okay. The Minister likes her."

Hermione nodded and set the paper down. "I'll bet Percy knows," she stated knowingly, though decidedly unimpressed.

"Without a doubt." Ginny let out a scoff as she scooted back on the bed so her back was against the wall. "He's always got his nose in other people's business."

That thought brought Ginny's reluctant mind to the task that she and Hermione had assigned for themselves this holiday. She bit her lip nervously before shifting her gaze to the other girl and speaking.

"So, still want to tell everyone tonight?" She asked, trying to keep the apprehension out of her voice.

Hermione turned to look at her, still sitting on the edge of the bed, but swiftly lifted herself to the spot next to Ginny and grasping her hand in her own.

"If you still want to," she replied. Ginny gave her a displeased look, resenting how Hermione was making it sound like this was solely Ginny's decision.

"I fully support you either way, Gin," Hermione continued, not wavering under the redhead's gaze. "This is **your** family. I am more than willing to tell them, but if you want to keep things quiet for a while longer, I'm supportive. I don't want you to do anything you're not ready for."

Ginny dropped Hermione's gaze and sighed heavily. "Yeah," she relented. She wasn't looking forward to telling her family about being romantically involved with a girl, but she knew she had to come out sometime. She hoped every day that her relationship with Hermione would last, and if that turned out to be the case, her family might as well find out now. She also hoped that since it was Hermione and not any random girl, they would be more accepting than they might be otherwise. It was a comfort to know that she at least had Ron and the twins' support though.

Given the limited amount of time that Hermione had with her parents this Christmas, the girls had decided to just tell the Weasley clan first, and then in the summer they'd tell Hermione's parents. The brunette didn't want to tell her parents something of this magnitude through a letter or on her own, so they'd have to wait until they could tell them in person. Admittedly, this made things a bit more manageable for them as they only had to worry about one coming-out at once, rather than two.

"Girls! Dinner!"

Both girls looked up to the door at hearing Mrs. Weasley's voice bellowing up the stairs.

Hermione got up from the bed and Ginny reluctantly released the brunette's hand. Looking up, she saw that Hermione was standing next to the bed with her hand held out.

"Coming?" Hermione asked, her smile a much needed comfort in the younger girl's eyes.

Giving her hand to Hermione, she let the older girl pull her up from the bed.

"So, after dinner, then?" Hermione continued.

Ginny gave her girlfriend a brave smile. "Yep. You'll take me with you if you have to disapparate out of here in a hurry, right?" She joked.

"Gin," Hermione chided. "It's going to be fine," she assured her. "And you know I'm with you, no matter what."

"Thanks," Ginny nodded and released Hermione's hand to open the door. "Well, shall we?"

* * *

Mrs. Weasley and the kids were cleaning up the dining room and kitchen after everyone had finished their dinner and desserts - some helping a little more enthusiastically than others.

"Thanks again for your help, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said genuinely to the Head Girl who was magicking newly cleaned plates up into the cupboard. "I wish some of my boys were as helpful as you," she said, eyeing Ron and the twins.

"Some things never change," Percy interjected, giving his brothers a smug look.

Ginny rolled her eyes at the sibling rivalry that was about to rear its head. She moved in close to her mother, her brothers now distracted by their little dispute. "Mum?" She asked, somewhat quietly, as not to attract unwanted attention, but did manage to catch Hermione's eye.

"Yes, Ginny, what is it?" Her mother responded distractedly, eyeing the boys over Ginny's shoulder.

"I, um, we," Ginny gestured between herself and Hermione, "were hoping to speak with you. Well, everyone," she said.

The entirety of Mrs. Weasley's attention instantly shifted to her youngest child and she eyed her with concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Mum, everything's fine - great, actually. But, I need to talk with you," Ginny assured her and gave her a small smile.

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said, still on the alert, "Well, let's go into the living room, then," she said as she placed an arm around Ginny and herded her out of the kitchen, gesturing to Hermione to follow.

"Family meeting!" Mrs. Weasley called out, and the boys incessant chatter abruptly ceased.

Ginny was herded to the Burrow's small seating area of the living room and she took a seat on the couch, hurriedly pulling Hermione down with her, afraid that her mother would sit with her instead.

Moments later, everyone had crowded into the room and Ginny could physically feel the weight of the pressure upon her right now. She shot a look to the twins and Ron, all three knowing what the girls were about to do. Ron looked on nervously, but the twins both grinned at them and flashed them a set of thumbs up. Percy looked on curiously, a bit scrutinizing, and Ginny knew he was analyzing the situation in an effort to figure out what this meeting was for.

"Is everything okay, girls?" Mr. Weasley asked as he settled into the chair next to his wife.

"Yes," Ginny answered, giving a cursory glance to her girlfriend who looked at Mr. Weasley very serious and staid.

"Well? Go on, then," Mrs. Weasley prompted. Her mother's impatience provoked irritation in Ginny and she shot a look at her mom. Her annoyance was quickly overwhelmed by anxiety once more, as she struggled for the words she had rehearsed so many times over in her head. She was about to stutter when Hermione placed a hand on her knee.

Ginny looked over in alarm at Hermione, who turned to her, her expression changing from one of determination to one of tenderness. Ginny felt her body relax considerably and she reached out to grasp the brunette's hand, entwining their fingers together. She looked to her parents and saw no reaction from her dad, but her mom was eyeing them with what was probably the first moments of panic.

"Mum, Dad, everyone," Ginny said slowly, deliberately, "Hermione and I are a couple."

She paused, waiting for reactions and not taking her eyes off of her parents.

Her dad looked between the two of them and gave a single nod, a small smile forming on his face. Ginny felt a wave of relief go through her. Now, her mother. She looked to her mom and saw that her mouth was wide open in surprise. Ginny laughed inwardly, thinking that this was one of the only times in her life that she had seen her mother speechless. Encouraged at least by her dad's reaction, Ginny went on.

"We've been together since end of summer, but we've both really liked each other for years."

"Congratulations," her father finally spoke, his voice warm. "I'm happy for you two. And I couldn't be happier that my little girl is with someone as kind and brilliant as you, Hermione," he said, turning his attention towards the brunette who had been quiet this whole time.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. That means a great deal," she said a bit hurriedly, clearly having been just as anxious as Ginny the past few moments, but a grateful smile formed on her lips.

"Mum?" Ginny asked, tentatively, looking to her mother in fear and worry. She didn't know what she'd do if her mother rejected her. Ginny was Mrs. Weasley's one and only daughter and she knew that her mother had a preset notion of what her life would be like, and the youngest Weasley knew that this wasn't in that plan.

"Dear?" Her father prompted, as he turned in his chair to face his wife. He reached out and touched her knee gently.

Suddenly a strangled whimper echoed across the small room and nearly everyone jumped.

"Mum?" Ginny asked in a full-on panic, her grip on Hermione's hand having to be taxing.

"My baby," Mrs. Weasley choked out as she crossed the room in a couple of strides and pulled a very surprised Ginny into a hug. It took Ginny a few moments to register just what was going on and she absently let go of Hermione's hand to put her arms around her mom who was still leaning over her, holding her in an awkward embrace.

"Mum, are you okay?" Ginny repeated quietly, unsure of what was going on.

Her mother pulled back out of the embrace and looked down at Ginny, tears in her eyes. "I'm so happy for you, Ginny! Oh, you're growing up so fast," she said as she began to tear up again.

"Sweet Merlin," Ginny exhaled in relief, before getting worked up again. "Mum! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Ginny!" Her mother snapped, her expression flashing from weepy to furious and back again. Ginny just gave her mom an apologetic look that developed into a smirk that she knew her mother would recognize as one of quiet thanks.

Mrs. Weasley turned to Hermione, giving the girl a smile and went on, "And Hermione, I couldn't be happier that it's you. You've been a part of this family for years and now this makes it official."

"Mum! I didn't ask her to marry me!" Ginny exclaimed. Quickly, she realized what she had said and she reflexively shot a look to Hermione and blurted out, "...not that I wouldn't..." and blushed an ever deeper shade of red if it was at all possible, hurriedly dropping her gaze to the rug on the floor. She heard the twins and Ron snickering and she snapped her head towards them in a sort of embarrassed rage and shouted at them.

"Now, now, Ginny," her mother coddled her and reached down to pat her on the shoulder, somehow infuriating Ginny further, though she kept quiet. She was afraid to look at Hermione again, unsure of what her reaction was to everything that just spewed out of Ginny's mouth. She immediately tensed upon feeling Hermione softly rubbing her back and scooting closer to her.

"It's okay," Hermione said softly.

Ginny relaxed into the embrace and let out a sigh, drawing an overly saccharine coo out of her mother that made Ginny frown once more, and the twins and Ron started up again.

"Okay, okay," Mr. Weasley said overtop of the commotion. "Let's leave the girls alone," he said. "That was a very brave thing you two did, and I'm very proud of you," he said to them.

They thanked him simultaneously and began to walk towards the stairs.

"Wait," Mrs. Weasley called out, and Ginny audibly groaned at the interruption, and turned on her heel to look at her mother. "Yes?"

"Um," her mother started, seeming uncharacteristically hesitant. "You two are sleeping in separate cots still, right?"

"Ugh!" Ginny yelled out over top of the boys' roaring laughter, before grabbing Hermione by the hand and pulling her up the stairs. "Yes, Mum! Now please never ask me that again!" She yelled down the stairs.

After they had both entered the room, Ginny closed the door and leaned back against it.

Hermione stood in the middle of the room and looked to Ginny, a small smirk on her face.

"Well, that didn't go too badly," she stated in a light voice.

Ginny groaned and let her head fall back against the door with a soft thud. "Yeah, you're right, but honestly," she trailed off with a bit of a defeated laugh. "My family..." she said, hanging her head this time and shaking it ruefully.

Hermione came to stand right in front of Ginny, placing her hands gently on the redhead's arms, and asserted, "Your family is wonderful."

**AN**: Well, there's a bit of that fluff that was promised - hopefully you enjoyed it. There will be more Burrow-time in the next chapter as well. Unfinished business, you might say. Anyway, thanks again to everyone for taking the time to read. Comments and feedback are always appreciated :) Enjoy your weekend, everyone!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_**Hermione POV**_

Hermione lay in bed and stared absently across the room at Ginny who was still fast asleep, the rays of the late-rising winter sun falling upon her still form. They had briefly contemplated moving their beds together last night, but after the significant progress they had made with Ginny's parents, they had decided to not push their luck, not so much out of fear, but respect.

Hermione glanced at her watch that lay on the night table and saw that it was still very early. She leaned over in bed so that she could reach her bag and pulled out the book that Ginny gave her in the summer, along with a quill. She propped her pillow up against the wall and sat against it. With a sigh she continued her previous reading on the French Ministry. Her eyes were going across the page and some region of her mind was absorbing the information, but her conscious thoughts kept drifting back to how she still had to tell Ginny the full story about her talk with Mr. Noirent.

The more Hermione read on everything and everyone involved, the more she realized that she couldn't pass up this chance. She wasn't fully decided on applying just yet, but she was leaning heavily in that direction. This future talk with Ginny would determine where she fell though.

A while later, Hermione's ears perked up as she heard rustling coming from Ginny's side of the room. She looked over to see the younger girl stirring. Eventually, the redhead stretched out in bed with a wide yawn. Hermione giggled.

"Oh, blimey," Ginny muttered in surprise as she visibly startled.

"Sorry," Hermione whispered, not wanting to disrupt the quiet. "Did I wake you?"

Ginny rolled over onto her stomach with her head turned to Hermione, the younger girl's hair all messy and looking incredibly cute. "No," she yawned. She closed her eyes momentarily before opening them once more. "How long have you been up?" She asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Not that long," Hermione answered, closing her book. The action must've drawn Ginny's attention because she perked up and spoke.

"Hey, the book," she smiled. "What were you looking up?"

Hermione shrugged. "Just some stuff on house-elves." It wasn't a total lie.

Ginny nodded and finally sat up in bed, swinging her feet over the edge of the bed and getting up to cross the room to join the brunette.

Hermione put the book away in what she hoped was a casual manner before leaning back against her pillow again. Ginny was now next to her and rest her head on Hermione's shoulder.

"Happy Christmas, Mione," Ginny said in a voice that was indicative of how drowsy she still was.

Hermione kissed the top of Ginny's head and grabbed her hand. "Happy Christmas, Gin."

The two sat like that for a while, the silence comfortable and easy, but something from yesterday's discussion with Ginny's parents came to mind.

"Hey, Gin," Hermione prompted, pulling her head off of Ginny's and tilting to look at her. The younger girl looked up at her, eyes curious, and Hermione went on. "Did you mean what you said last night? You know, about, well, marriage?"

"Oh," Ginny said, any trace of drowsiness quickly disappearing from her features as she sat up, her face growing red just as it had the night before.

"It's okay if you didn't," Hermione said quietly, hoping her words wouldn't push the girl in either direction. She just wanted the truth.

"Well, um," Ginny stumbled along. Hermione would've been more concerned, but Ginny still holding onto her hand eased her nerves. Finally, the redhead got a hold of her composure and continued. "I totally understand that it's too early, and I mean, in reality, we haven't even been together that long, but, um, yes, I really meant it."

Ginny looked up at Hermione with such an apprehensive, vulnerable look that Hermione couldn't help but feel bad for her. She leaned in and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek. When she pulled back, Ginny looked hurt, and the brunette repressed a laugh, knowing that Ginny had just misinterpreted the kiss, likely as one of sympathy or gentle rejection.

Hermione cupped Ginny's face with her hand and pulled the girl in for a soft kiss on the lips. When she pulled back once more, Ginny was giving her a shy smile and she smirked back.

"I didn't say 'yes'," she said, in reference to Ginny's choice of words last night, "not that I wouldn't, though."

The younger girl let out a relieved sigh and leaned back against the pillow. "Gosh, don't scare me."

"Sorry," Hermione giggled, earning a sceptical look from her girlfriend.

A moment later, Ginny spoke up.

"Hermione Brocklehurst," she pondered with evident distaste.

"Ginny," Hermione warned in a teasing manner. Ginny's continued dislike of Mandy was no big mystery and Hermione had to curb it every now and then.

"Hermione Weasley," Ginny brightened up. "Much better."

"Oh, really?" Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Ginny Granger. There's a sense of alliteration going on there that's quite nice. And Ginevra Granger," Hermione tapped her chin. "I like the sound of that. It has an eloquent kind of sound, doesn't it?"

Hermione spied the smile that Ginny was trying to hide beneath her unimpressed look.

"Weasley-Granger?" Ginny ventured.

"Granger-Weasley."

Both girls looked at each other for a second before shaking their heads decidedly. "No, neither."

* * *

_**Ginny POV**_

"I see you haven't totally lost your touch," Ginny winked at Katie as they landed in the field behind the Burrow. Since the Burrow was bustling with people, almost all quidditch-fanatics, it made sense to have an impromptu game. It was great to be on the 'pitch' with Katie once more. Ginny had invited Hermione outside to watch, but even the promise of Luna keeping her company wasn't enough to lure the brunette outside. Instead, the Head Girl opted to stay inside and read. And Percy, well, of course he never joined in on the quidditch-fun.

"Excuse me?" Katie retorted in mock offense. "I made regional! What'll be **real** fun is if we end up on opposite teams after you get scouted." Ginny chuckled and grinned at the girl over the prospect.

Ginny listened intently as Katie told her about her experiences on the Chudley Cannons, and the stories only served to make Ginny even more excited at the idea of going professional.

"I'm still hoping for the Holyhead Harpies," Ginny told Katie as they entered the Burrow. "But I can't exactly be choosey, I'll play for whatever team wants me-" Ginny went on, before smirking, "-initially at least."

Katie was joking with her when Percy's voice cut in.

"So you won't mind playing for the Quafflepunchers, then," he said as he made eye contact with her, an odd glint in his eyes.

"What are you going on about?" Ginny asked with a bit of a stern frown as she took a step towards him. Everyone had been great about her and Hermione coming out as a couple - except for Percy. He hadn't actually said anything to her - he knew better than that - but she could tell he was put off.

Only when Ginny stepped forward did she notice Hermione sitting in the chair opposite Percy, as the back of the tall chair was facing the front door. "Hi, Mione," she said in a lighter tone coupled with a quiet smile that instantly faded away as soon as her mind registered the anxious look on the brunette's face.

"What's wrong?" Ginny reiterated as she glanced between Percy and Hermione, a glare eventually settling on Percy. If that prat had done something to upset Hermione-

"You didn't tell her?" Percy asked bemused. Ginny was puzzled furthermore when she saw the question was directed to Hermione who suddenly looked both skittish and furious.

The young redhead didn't have a good feeling about where this was going. She looked closely at Hermione and the nearly remorseful look the girl was now giving Ginny only sent her defenses shooting up.

"What's going on? Is someone going to actually tell me or do I just have to guess," she snapped, as she varied her scrutinizing look between her brother and Hermione. They took just a second too long to respond and Ginny sniped, "Why the Hell would I go play for the Quafflepunchers, I hate that team. And I know you're daft when it comes to quidditch, Percy, but surely even **you** know they're all the way in bloody France."

"Gin," Hermione started in a tone that immediately put Ginny even further on the alert. The brunette rose from her chair, not breaking eye contact with the young redhead and Ginny instinctively took a step back. "Gin," Hermione repeated patiently, "can we go upstairs?"

"No," Ginny snapped, though she knew it was very juvenile. In fact, she spat out the response before she even really knew what Hermione had been asking, she just didn't like the way the brunette was acting and felt like she had to be...defiant.

"Ginny, please," Hermione implored, still not breaking their gaze, "can we go upstairs." It was more of a statement than a question.

The redhead frowned as a momentary internal debate raged, and eventually gave a reluctant nod. She didn't let Hermione hold her hand as they went upstairs to the bedroom. They walked in silence and even after the door had closed, there was a moment of tense quiet before Hermione spoke up.

"Gin, please, this seems worse than it is," she insisted as she began to reach out for the younger girl. Ginny just pulled away with a frown and crossed her arms - refusing to be cuddled into compliance though she didn't quite know what she was fighting just yet.

"Tell me what's going on," Ginny stated as she stared hard at the brunette and tried to decipher what to expect.

"I didn't want you to find out this way," Hermione started as her shoulders slouched and her gaze dropped to the ground for a defeated second. "I was going to tell you tonight, I swear," she declared as she eyed Ginny in earnest.

"Tell me what?" Ginny asked, her voice shocking herself with how soft and vulnerable it seemed. She hardly noticed that her arms that had been tightly folded across her chest were now slack and fell slowly to her sides.

Hermione's forehead creased furthermore in upset and she seemed to struggle with how to start, but eventually she spoke.

"Um, Ginny," Hermione started, glancing back nervously at her bag that lay beside her bed, "remember when I met with Mr. Noirent?" Ginny nodded. "Well, I wasn't entirely honest with you about what was discussed."

Subdued alarm rippled through Ginny and it must have been obvious, because suddenly Hermione was trying to appease her.

"I didn't lie," the brunette proclaimed, "exactly. I just didn't tell you that more was said."

Ginny huffed and gestured impatiently for the girl to go on.

"Okay," Hermione nodded. "Well, he did tell me that I should work for the Ministry, but he actually told me about a specific opportunity and advised me to apply."

The feeling of alarm hadn't left Ginny, but it was swiftly accompanied by confusion as she tried to determine where Hermione was going with this. Though, 'job opportunity' and Percy's earlier reference to the Quafflepunchers had the redhead's cogs turning. After a moment's hesitation, she reminded herself that Hermione had just told her good news and she stated it.

"Isn't that good news?" She asked Hermione with lingering impatience.

"Well, yes, but the problem is that the job is in France," Hermione finished in a regretful tone.

Ginny could easily see that Hermione was watching her very intently for some sort of reaction and the redhead knew she had to be particular in her response. The only thing she was truly sure about right now is that her mind was racing in conjunction with her heart. France? The idea of Hermione going anywhere other than London for work had never crossed her mind, though now she berated herself for ignoring the possibility. Considering Hermione's academic achievements and impressive reputation, it shouldn't have been a surprise at all that she would be scouted or stationed elsewhere. However, Ginny had been foolish and just assumed that Hermione would stay conveniently close.

Before the younger girl could get too wrapped up in her own disappointment, a part of her quickly pointed out that this was Hermione's moment, her opportunity, and that Ginny had no right to take that away from her.

"That's great news, Mione! Ministry officials don't normally approach graduates like that, so that's a huge compliment," she said in as bright a voice as she could muster, a broad smile on her face and praying that it didn't seem insincere. She really was proud of Hermione, but right now that small selfish part of herself was crying out and she had to try to ignore it.

"So," Ginny said with continued enthusiasm, "what's the job?"

Hermione sighed unsteadily. "The position is Junior Policy Analyst," she said with a small shrug. "And essentially, what's happening is that the French Ministry is giving their staff the opportunity to create legislature that will liberate the house-elves. It would be a task, as that's a huge move, as such they're requesting Britain be a part of this. Mr. Noirent and the Junior Policy Analyst would be part of the British Ministry's team," she explained.

Ginny gave a nod of understanding. "Percy knew? Dad didn't say anything to me either...," she trailed off as hurt seeped in. The fact that she had been kept in the dark about this just added insult to injury. Again, she was the youngest, the one who wouldn't understand, who had to be protected, who had to be kept on the outside.

"I swear to God, Gin," Hermione said earnestly, "I didn't speak with anyone about this. I **just** found out that Percy knows. He heard it from the Minister, and outside of that I haven't spoken with anyone on the topic. I'm not sure if your dad has heard about it at the Ministry, or at least about me. If he has heard, he hasn't indicated anything to me."

Ginny averted her gaze, crossing her arms once more and gave a moody nod. "Yeah."

"Please believe me, Gin," Hermione beseeched as she came forward and laid her hand on Ginny's forearm. "I didn't tell you sooner because I wasn't - **still** - not sure if I want to apply."

Ginny's cross features softened as she heard the hesitation in Hermione's voice. "How could you not pursue this?" She asked in quiet disbelief. "You've been working to get the house-elves rights for years now, this is the perfect opportunity," Ginny said in complete sincerity. Hermione shrugged solemnly once more. "I don't get it, Hermione, why the long face? You should be ecstatic," the redhead insisted as she offered her a small smile.

"It's complicated, you **know** that," Hermione said, shooting the younger girl a look. Ginny shook her head, unfazed. She knew exactly what Hermione was referring to, but she refused to let it be a factor - it shouldn't be.

"No, it's not. You have to take this opportunity, Hermione. How often is something like this going to come around?"

"Gin, please," the brunette pleaded as she took a step back. "I know those things, but," she sighed exasperatedly and her shoulders fell forward, "what about us?" She looked imploringly at Ginny.

"What about us?" Ginny retorted with an easy shrug, pulling an insulted look from Hermione that the redhead had to admit she was pleased to see. Still, she went on. "This is a huge opportunity, you know you can't pass this up."

Hermione sighed. "You **really ** want me to go?"

"Absolutely," Ginny said decidedly. "He chose you out of all the witches and wizards in Britain. This is your dream! I won't stand in the way of that."

"I don't know if I was the only one he spoke to," Hermione quickly reasoned and Ginny just gave her a doubtful look. "Even so," the older girl relented. "What about us?"

Ginny shrugged and couldn't help dropping her gaze as she absently kicked at the ground like she so normally did during times like this. She could feel Hermione's gaze on her.

"I don't know," she shrugged once more and chanced a brief glance upward at the other girl. "What do you want?" She asked as casually as she could despite the tightness that was building in her throat.

"Well, I can't make a decision for you. You need to pursue your dreams, too," Hermione answered. Ginny nearly scoffed, but bit back the response.

"Don't side-step the question. What do you want?" She repeated. A few moments of heavy silence passed as Ginny stared at the brunette who seemed much more comfortable looking across the room instead.

"I want the Ministry, and I want to work towards liberating the house-elves-" Ginny felt her breath hitch and she was very still. "-but I don't want to do it without you."

Ginny let out a giant sigh of relief. "Don't **do** that. You scared me," she grumbled before abruptly reaching out and pulling an unsuspecting Hermione into a hug. Though the brunette relaxed into the embrace, it was only temporary as she pulled away and stared purposefully at the younger girl.

"So, what does this mean, Gin? What about you?" Hermione asked looking a bit apprehensive.

"I can't exactly do much. I'm stuck at Hogwarts for another year anyway," she answered a bit flatly. "Is this job...permanent?"

Hermione readily shook her head. "No. It's an internship. The assignment is supposed to be a year, but the contract could be cancelled early if either Ministry deems the project a failure. On the flip side, if things are going well, but they haven't wrapped up in the year, a contract extension would be offered, granted they want to keep me onboard."

"Okay," Ginny nodded. "Well, if the latter situation comes up, we'll talk about it then. For now, let's just get past the first year."

"Sounds reasonable," Hermione assented. "Are you sure though?" She questioned again. "I mean, me being in France is quite different than me being in London, even with the advantages of magic."

Ginny heaved yet another sigh. "Mione, come on, this is the beginning of your career. I'm really proud of you. I support you no matter what, and that includes supporting you even if you go to France, that doesn't change anything." She paused deliberately. "And if you do stay out there, I guess I could cope with the Quiberon Quafflepunchers - temporarily anyhow."

The brunette smiled and Ginny let herself be pulled into a hug. They stayed that way for a while until Ginny stepped back to catch Hermione's eye.

"So, you'll apply?" Ginny asked and gave her girlfriend a stern look that drew a light chuckle out of her.

"Yes. I will."

Ginny smiled back, though knowing that she'd miss Hermione so much.

A bit of an uneasy silence filtered in and Ginny's gaze wandered for a short while before speaking again, the brightness in her voice a lot less forced than she had anticipated.

"So who else from the Ministry will be going?"

"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest," Hermione said as she furrowed her brows in thought. "The Department of International Magical Cooperation will be involved, and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as a whole would have to overlook it, so I imagine that Miss Blake would be involved as well, even if only serving a minor role."

Ginny nodded. She was about to get swallowed up in her own thoughts when she saw the twinge of worry on her girlfriend's face. Ginny furrowed her brows and looked on in scrutiny, further concerned as Hermione continued to stare into space.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked. "Come on, Mione," she stressed. "You know you should apply."

"No, no," Hermione shook her head quickly, frowning deeper. "That's not what's bothering me..." Her eyes flitted about for a second before settling on the redhead, worry now thinly veiled. "Before you came in with Katie and the boys..."

"...Yeah?"

"Well, Percy was sort of, I don't know, **warning** me," her voice emphasizing the word and making eye contact.

Ginny's confusion was swiftly stomped out by a rush of indignation, and she automatically set her shoulders and glared harshly at the door as though her look could be seen by him. "What did he say?" She asked hurriedly.

With some minor hesitation, Hermione explained, "Well, he just said some things that made me wonder what happens when someone comes out at the Ministry." Ginny bristled as Hermione's words set in and the brunette quickly placed a hand on her arm. "Don't be mad, Ginny, please. I think he was just trying to let me know, I don't think it was malicious," she stressed.

"He's just trying to get you worked up," Ginny argued. "I should release a bludger on him for doing that to you."

"Gin, please," Hermione pressed.

With a frustrated sigh, the younger girl crossed her arms in defeat. "Fine. But promise me you won't listen to him. He's full of it," she rambled on before sighing once more, looking visibly calmer after. "He's probably feeling threatened by you, knows you'll be very successful at the Ministry."

"Please, Gin. I don't even know if I'll get the job."

"Mione, stop that. Don't let him influence you. It'll be fine," Ginny responded earnestly.

Hermione shrugged and offered a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I looked it up in my Referencia book - there's really no information on gay or lesbian Ministry workers. That's a big warning right there," she relayed in a regretful tone. "We've been really lucky at Hogwarts - things have been good there. However, the Ministry is very conservative and it's a whole other generation of people. I'm not sure why I never really thought about it sooner..."

Ginny racked her mind for a strong argument and while she didn't have a great amount of luck, she settled with, "Things are different now. And really, you don't **have **to come out at work. It's none of their business, anyway."

The brunette sighed and closed her eyes momentarily. "Let's not talk about it right now," she pleaded. "**If** I get the job, then we'll talk about it more."

Though Ginny didn't want to let the subject rest, she also knew that pushing Hermione right now would just start a fight. Hermione was right; they could wait to discuss it further. Ginny swallowed her conviction and gave her girlfriend a nod of acceptance, which earned her a grateful smile.

"Are we okay?" Hermione asked with a bit of a vulnerable look that Ginny found so endearing on the girl everyone was used to seeing so confident and sure.

The redhead gave her a lopsided grin. "Course," she nearly laughed. "And **if**," she dragged out the word, lathering it in sarcasm, "you get the job, know that I'll miss you - a bit." She bit back a broad grin, and managed to restrain it to a smirk as Hermione eyed her with humoured severity.

"You really know how to charm a girl, you know that?" The older girl stated sardonically.

The redhead gave a soft laugh. "Well, I guess I've had plenty of practice." Hermione's eyes widened in alarm and Ginny quickly threw her hands up in defence, laughing furthermore. "Kidding! I'm kidding!"

"I would hope so," the brunette grumbled, still eyeing her girlfriend, displeased. "On that note," she continued, with an ounce of warning in her voice, "don't think I won't hear about it if you go sneaking off with another girl to the Room of Requirement."

"Yeah, that'll happen," Ginny replied dryly while rolling her eyes.

"You're just as aware as I am about how much some of the girls around Hogwarts want you," Hermione stated. "They might find themselves being a bit more...confident, when I'm not hanging around you." Ginny smirked, still eyeing her girlfriend as though she were being foolish. Undeterred, Hermione went on. "If you keep to yourself...," she said slowly, "you will be highly rewarded," she finished quickly with a curt nod.

Ginny stared at her for a moment, then it seemed to suddenly click and she felt her jaw drop just slightly and her eyes nearly sparkled. Hermione choked out a laugh.

"Oh, um," Ginny stuttered as she began trying to regain her composure. "Right. Uh, you know, I...I entirely forget what I was going to say," she said simply.

Hermione doubled over in laughter for a moment and tried desperately to pull herself together. Ginny shook her head softly and chuckled as their eyes met. The older girl moved in and wrapped her arms around Ginny's waist and kissed the hollow of her neck before resting her head on the redhead's shoulder.

"Keep kissing me there and a year from now will be way, way, too far away," Ginny responded, painfully aware of how short of breath she sounded, no matter how slight it was.

Hermione smirked what Ginny deemed a bit of a wicked grin and tilted her head to kiss the younger girl's exposed neck once more, this time much slower and gave a small nip at the skin there before pulling back. Ginny couldn't help but jump in her arms at the action.

"Are you **trying** to drive me crazy?"

Hermione brought her hand up to caress the back of Ginny's neck as she began to kiss, suck, and nip at the skin she found there. Ginny groaned involuntarily and pulled back enough to give herself room to find Hermione's lips with her own, bringing them into a fervent kiss. One of Ginny's hands began to rub the small of the brunette's back, while the other came up and soon she was running her fingers through Hermione's soft, yet unruly hair. Their kisses had turned fiery, but when Ginny pushed Hermione onto her back, she used what little cognitive thought she had left to order herself to manoeuvre the brunette gently. Ginny pinned Hermione to the bed and was astounded by the amount of energy and excitement that sparked through her body at the way their exchange was proceeding. The feelings surged as Ginny pulled back momentarily to look into Hermione's eyes, the urge to see her was irresistible for some reason, and Hermione consequently tightened her grip on the younger girl. Much to Ginny's surprise, and pleasure, she felt the brunette's nails dig into her back.

Ginny quickly leaned down and captured Hermione's lips in a hard kiss - all prior gentleness gone - she nearly felt possessed.

As Ginny lay kisses along Hermione's neck, what felt like a wave of electricity shot through her as she felt Hermione entwine one leg around Ginny's and ran her foot along it, pulling up the redhead's pant leg as she went along. Ginny could feel Hermione's toes trailing along the newly exposed skin and a wave of goosebumps formed on Ginny's skin. She moaned in approval and traced her hand along Hermione's abdomen before sneaking it under her top. The redhead grinned as she felt Hermione tighten her hold on her.

"Wait."

The younger girl stiffened as her girlfriend's breathless voice filled her ears and the girl's hands came to rest on Ginny's shoulders, pushing slightly.

"Ginny, I'm sorry," Hermione breathed, sounding remorseful.

The redhead snorted out a laugh as she let her head fall against Hermione's shoulder and she let her body grow limp before rolling off of the brunette. Almost instantly, Hermione rolled over so that she was now wrapped around Ginny, with her head resting upon the younger girl's shoulder.

"Are you mad?" Hermione asked, her voice sounding uncharacteristically meek.

"No," Ginny laughed. "It's fine, though I might need a cold shower."

Hermione laughed softly and shifted her head to bury her face in the blankets that were crumpled beneath them. She eventually looked up and Ginny met her gaze with a lopsided grin. Ginny sighed.

"You really know how to keep a girl wanting more, you know that?"

**AN**: I probably should've put a warning in at the beginning of this chapter to indicate that it was going to get a bit racy, but I didn't want to spoil the 'surprise'...so, apologies to anyone who was caught off guard and offended. I realize the story is rated 'T' at this point - I don't intend to get too crazy with this sort of thing, but if any of you believe I should change the rating, please let me know. Anyhow, I'm back to my super long chapters lol. Thanks again to everyone for the incredible support - it is truly appreciated :) Hope everyone is enjoying their week!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_**Hermione POV**_

"You really know how to keep a girl wanting more, you know that?"

Hermione smiled softly and gave her girlfriend a soft nudge that drew a faint laugh out of the younger girl. The brunette continued to rest her head on Ginny's shoulder, the redhead having just forfeited their heated encounter – even if only because Hermione requested they wait. Ginny really was sweet to her. Yet, a thought nagged at Hermione's mind and it had been pestering her for months - even before their relationship had begun. Now was as good a time as any to bring it up.

"Ginny?" She asked, her voice a bit softer than it might've normally been.

"Hm?"

"Did you and Demelza ever...," Hermione trailed off momentarily, having trouble spitting out the words despite having gone over this conversation hundreds of times in her head. With a bit of a hurried sigh she gathered up the nerve and forged on. "Did you ever sleep together?" She closed her eyes in apprehension before forcing them open to look at Ginny and wait for a response. Even though Hermione had gone through the various ways this scenario could go, she still wasn't sure how she'd react if Ginny said what she feared she'd say.

"No," Ginny responded incredulously and pulled away enough to make eye contact with the older girl. Hermione nearly had to laugh at how completely insulted the redhead looked. Suddenly, a look of distress crossed Ginny's face and she hastily pulled back even more.

"Dear Merlin, did you sleep with Mandy?" Her voice growing shrill.

"No," Hermione countered, frowning deeply and knowing she sounded as irritated at the suggestion as she felt. "Goodness, Gin, her and I were only together a month and I was hardly around." Ginny continued to stare in scrutiny, but reluctantly relaxed and settled herself into the pillow again. Hermione went on, still sounding a bit cross, "It was a fair question for me to ask. You were with Demelza a long time."

"So what?" Ginny retorted with the same insult as before. "I told you before, I didn't even like her that way."

"I know," Hermione relented, "but you still might've slept together. I don't know."

"Well you know now," Ginny responded flatly. Hermione was going to speak when the younger girl turned her head to make eye contact, her expression indicating that she was still offended. "You think I'd sleep with her even under those circumstances?"

Hermione huffed a little and propped herself up on her elbow to look at her girlfriend. "Well, you dated her for months even though you didn't like her. So, logically speaking, I couldn't rule it out."

Ginny scoffed with a roll of her eyes, her gaze lingering on the wall for a bit before shifting to Hermione. "You're always going to be able to hold that over my head, aren't you?"

The older girl had a retaliation on the tip of her tongue, but the hurt look on Ginny's face halted her defense. Hermione sighed and lay back down, both girls now staring up at the ceiling.

"I was just- never mind. I'm glad to hear you didn't sleep together," she said softly.

"And if we had?"

Hermione snapped her head to the side to stare at Ginny in question. The redhead sighed a bit impatiently. "We didn't," she repeated, "I'm just asking."

The brunette relaxed and let her head fall back onto the pillow to look up at the ceiling, finding its blank canvas comforting as she worked through her thoughts.

"I don't know," she responded slowly with a sigh. Just the thought of Demelza and Ginny being intimate made her chest ache in pain. She scolded herself for being so silly, the two hadn't slept together and even if they had, Hermione had not been Ginny's girlfriend and had no right to stake any sort of claim over her despite the deep-seated feeling that Ginny should have been hers even then.

"You must have some idea," the younger girl said with renewed patience. "I have the feeling this isn't the first time this topic has crossed your mind."

"No, it isn't," Hermione reluctantly admitted. "Well, if you had slept together...," she paused as she thought it over once more, "I would've been really hurt, though I know I'd have no right to be."

"Well, I couldn't blame you if you were upset," Ginny offered as she reached over and gingerly grasped Hermione's hand. "I would've been going off the walls if you had slept with Mandy," she chuckled softly.

Hermione's solemn expression cracked slightly as her lips began to pull into a small smile, knowing that Ginny's statement wasn't a huge over-exaggeration. Hermione noted how odd and a bit embarrassing it was that she found Ginny's possessiveness so appealing. The brunette guessed that it made her feel a bit better about her own bout of it, and she had to admit that Ginny being so protective made her feel special and well...wanted. She'd never admit to it, and in fact would likely laugh at whoever suggested such a thing, but that was how she really felt.

Additionally, Ginny confirming that she had never gone further with Demelza cemented something for Hermione - the fact that Ginny was never intimate with her ex served as a bit of a testimonial to Hermione for all that Ginny had claimed about how her emotions for the brunette had never gone away. It made Hermione feel wonderful. She shifted her body so that they were now in the same position that they were in when the conversation started. She smiled as she felt Ginny laugh quietly.

"So does this mean we're okay?" Ginny asked in a teasing voice, though Hermione knew Ginny was actually being serious. Hermione nodded against the girl's shoulder.

"Good," Ginny remarked. "I'd hate for you to go back on your promise," she said lightly.

Hermione frowned. "What prom-"

Her sentence was cut off as Ginny abruptly rolled them over so that Hermione was now pinned underneath and staring up wide-eyed at Ginny as the redhead dipped down to meet Hermione's unsuspecting lips in a heated kiss. Slowly, Ginny pulled back.

"Oh," Hermione breathed. "That promise."

"Yes," Ginny grinned wickedly. "**That** promise." Before Hermione could say or do more, Ginny pushed herself back off of Hermione and consequently up and off of the bed, but not before hurriedly lifting up the brunette's shirt just enough to plant a fleeting kiss on her stomach, more specifically, just above where her jeans rested on her hips. If Hermione wasn't mistaken, Ginny's tongue made a brief appearance during the kiss, making it that much more tantalizing. The whole thing happened so fast that Hermione didn't have time to control herself and her hips lifted slightly off the bed as if to follow Ginny, desperately wanting more despite what her mind argued.

In a daze, the brunette slowly looked down toward the end of the bed to see Ginny leaning against the wall looking far too smug.

"Ginny," the older girl warned as she very nearly glowered at her cheeky girlfriend.

"Well, we could always move that promise of yours forward," Ginny trailed off with a smirk as Hermione began to spout her retaliation, only silenced when Ginny put her hand up in amused defense. "Hey, I understand," Ginny said with that same smile. "Your rules, and I'm willing to play by them." Hermione scowled further at the redhead's demeanor.

Ginny's face grew contemplative and she spoke, "And really, you're correct. Waiting a whole year - at least - is a better idea. I mean, to give into our desires, that **need**, right now, just wouldn't be appropriate-"

"Gin," Hermione warned once more as she narrowed her eyes at the girl who was just too mischievous sometimes.

"-to continue kissing you there, to let my hands wander, to kiss even lower...to let my tongue trail-"

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed as she shot up out of bed and grabbed the laughing redhead and ushered her out of the bedroom and down the stairs. It took great determination to ignore the stirrings that Ginny's words caused, but she fought it.

"I think it's time for you to catch up on studying," Hermione announced firmly as she continued to force Ginny down the stairs.

"Oh Hermione, you're so domineering," Ginny taunted as she continued to giggle.

"Ginny, I swear to God..."

* * *

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny stood in the Burrow's very cramped living room, a mug of butterbeer in hand (a few generous drops of firewhiskey mixed in thanks to Fred and George), and a toy hat on her head that her oddly persuasive girlfriend had insisted that she wear. Tonight was New Year's Eve and they were seconds away from entering the new year. Everyone was counting down the seconds.

The youngest Weasley greedily drank back her tainted butterbeer, rather than counting, the action drawing a nudge from Hermione.

"Six!" The brunette cheered. "Five!" She continued to chant with everyone else and tugged on Ginny's arm to get her to count down too.

"Four," Ginny said in an unenthusiastic voice, causing Hermione to pout. The young redhead smiled at her and finished the countdown with newfound energy.

"Happy New Year!" Everyone in the Weasley household exclaimed.

Ginny saw all the present couples link up in a celebratory kiss, ignoring how put off Percy looked. She turned to Hermione and smiled. "Happy New Year, Mione," she said just loud enough for the older girl to hear.

"Happy New Year, Gin," Hermione reciprocated and they joined together in a warm kiss.

When Hermione pulled back, she eyed Ginny suspiciously. "Gin...," she started.

"Hm?" Ginny asked.

"Do I taste...Firewhiskey?" Hermione asked, as she licked her lips in suspicion.

The redhead smirked before quickly replacing that expression with an innocent smile. "Firewhiskey?" She asked, with a perplexed frown. "Why would you taste Firewhiskey?"

Hermione instantly shifted her now unimpressed gaze from Ginny to the twins. "Fred! George!" She called out before storming off to them.

Ginny spied the twins peering over and she laughed at how ridiculous it looked to see this petite girl stalking over to give Fred and George, who easily towered over her, a piece of her mind. The youngest sibling locked eyes with her older brothers and gave them a small shrug.

Ginny finished off her drink and set it down before glancing around the room, trying to determine what to do next. Her attention was caught as Percy abruptly stood up and disappeared into the kitchen, clearly in a mood.

She had been meaning to give him a piece of her own mind since Hermione had told her about his little 'pep talk' the other day. They were heading back to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow, and Ginny figured no time was better than the present.

After taking off her bizarre hat, Ginny swiftly followed Percy into the kitchen. She saw him conjuring himself a drink and she called to him as he was about to take a sip, causing him to nearly spill.

"Ginny," he scolded, turning to her and looking just as annoyed as she'd imagined he would.

"Percy," she greeted evenly.

"Well?" He prompted, tapping his foot impatiently.

"So, I hear you had a bit of advise to give my girlfriend the other day," Ginny stated, noting how he rolled his eyes at the word 'girlfriend'.

"I was just telling her the facts," he said, still annoyed. "If she intends to be out, she may be well advised to pursue a different place of employment."

"You honestly don't expect me to buy that load," Ginny warned. "Let me guess, you're jealous that she was approached about this opportunity and you weren't."

"Actually," Percy glowered as he set down his drink. "I've been asked to go as well."

"Oh yeah? Well I'm guessing that's a very recent development since you haven't bragged about it to everyone yet," Ginny retorted. "Alright then, so now since you may be working very closely with Hermione, you feel especially threatened."

"How could I ever be threatened by **her**," he replied, his mannerisms snobbish as ever. It only took a split second for his comment and delivery to set Ginny's anger aflame.

"Don't **ever** disrespect Hermione like that," she said in a low voice while staring Percy down. "You've been a pretty shit brother to the rest of us, but you don't get to treat Hermione the same way." Ginny seethed as she thought more about the situation and she continued on more forcefully this time. "She's the one that defended you when the rest of us were criticizing you, and this is how you repay her? I'd hex you to Hell and back, but it'll be sweeter when Hermione moves up faster and higher than you ever will. She sent her application in yesterday, so get ready."

Percy stared at her with hard eyes. Though he appeared unmoved, Ginny knew him well enough to know that she struck a nerve. A moment later, he regained his thoughts and spoke evenly.

"And why exactly are you defending her? She's leaving you."

Ginny bristled against her will and she concentrated hard on not exhibiting how much his assertion got to her. "She's not. Yes, she's moving, but we're still going to be together." She was tempted to exert her argument further, but thought that might incriminate her more than anything. Instead, she forced herself to keep quiet. She had to admit though, if she had any less self-control, she would've blasted Percy when she saw the hint of a smirk creeping across his lips.

"Oh Ginny, you're so young," he said in an amused voice. "You want me to be nice to Hermione? Fine. Maybe you didn't notice, but while you're out playing some silly game around on the pitch, at Hogwarts, no less, Hermione will be advancing a **promising**-" his delivery of the word clearly mocking and resentful, "-career at the Ministry. She won't have time for you and your juvenile past-times. Hermione is driven and career-oriented, and considering how clever she is, I don't imagine it'll take much time for her to realize that you're holding her back. Honestly, Ginny, your big aspiration in life is to play toss and catch on broomsticks while Hermione's is to change the world. How do those two dreams meet up? I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just letting you know what I see."

Percy's words stung more than any hit Ginny had taken on the pitch. Her whole body was tense with anger and hurt as his words rang painfully in her head. She had surprised herself with how well she'd taken Hermione's news about this move, but now it didn't feel nearly as easy to be at peace with it. It's not as if some form of Percy's sentiments hadn't crossed her mind, but having Hermione physically close had kept the thoughts at bay. However, once there were miles and miles separating them...And this whole thing about their lives after Hogwarts had always been Hermione's concern - Ginny just wrote it off as insecurity and it had never really bothered her. She loved Hermione and knew that she would continue to no matter how different their aspirations were, but maybe Hermione had a point with these worries. Hermione hadn't brought any of these concerns up for a while now and Ginny figured that the brunette was now satisfied and confident, but perhaps this wasn't actually the case.

"_No,_" Ginny reprimanded herself. "_Don't let him get to you. You know better than this. He's just trying to rile you up._"

It's true – he was just trying to get under her skin. Hermione loved her. Though things would be changing, underneath this insecurity Ginny felt that they would be okay. She at least knew that no matter what, she'd fight for Hermione. She would never just give up like she did before.

While Ginny realized that she had a few things to work through still, she'd be damned if she let Percy get the last laugh in this. It would be too good to be true if she got along with all of her siblings - of course there had to be one that she clashed with, and of course that would have to be the one that would now be working alongside Hermione.

"Nice try, Weatherby," Ginny retorted with a smug grin. "Look, I'm sorry that Penelope dumped you, but that's no reason to get nasty about other happy couples, okay?" She continued patronizingly. Percy was about to throw a response her way when she cut him off, all prior taunting and jest gone and leaving only a serious tone and set features. "If you ever do anything stupid like what you did the other day, or say something completely ignorant like you did just now, I will be more than willing to put you in your place."

Percy scoffed, but his gaze shifted away from Ginny's and essentially forfeiting him from their debate.

Noise from the next room filtered into the kitchen and Ginny was reminded that she should join the festivities again.

"Well, Happy New Year, Percy," she said in a sweet voice that was deeply sarcastic before turning and leaving him with his thoughts.

**AN**: Hey, everyone! Thank you very much for all your continued support - it is absolutely astounding. Perhaps not the most riveting of chapters...but everything serves a purpose. It shall continue to chug along! Have a great week :)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_**Hermione POV**_

Hermione awoke to Crookshanks quietly purring in her ear - she could hear his tail swishing against the headboard of her bed.

"Who needs an alarm when I have you, hm?" Hermione muttered with a faint smile as she pulled herself upright in bed and rubbed her tired eyes. Almost instantly, her grogginess was swept away by eager anticipation for the upcoming day. She was absolutely positive that this year, today would be far, far better than last year.

She changed into her robes and descended the stairs with her usual, purposeful walk. Despite her good mood, she nearly groaned out loud when she first caught sight of the common room. To her distaste, or perhaps even horror, it was bordered with paper cut-outs of hearts and cupids. Professor McGonagall must have come in and charmed the place, or perhaps some overly zealous student had taken the liberty of making the room a little more "festive".

"Good morning, Hermione."

The brunette tore her attention away from the eye sores disguised as decorations and turned to see Harry approaching.

"Morning, Harry," she said, feeling pleasant once more.

Hermione looked down, distracted by something in her peripheral vision, and saw that Harry was holding a small gift-wrapped box. She looked up at him questioningly, but impressed just the same.

"I know," he laughed embarrassed. "It's nothing major – just some earrings."

"You bought her jewellery?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Um...yes?" Harry answered, unsure. "Is that bad?"

"No," Hermione laughed. "Luna's very lucky to have you. I'm sure she'll love the gift. I'm very impressed - any girl would be lucky to receive such a generous gift."

"Mornin'," Ron called as he came down the stairs and joined the pair. Hermione smiled as she saw Ginny in tow, Ginny returning the gesture.

"Now, question is, did you have the same foresight as Harry?" Hermione asked with an eyebrow arched as she eyed Ron.

"What?" He asked, looking between his two friends.

Hermione reached down and grabbed Harry's wrist to bring the gift up to eye level.

"Oh!" He exclaimed in realization. "Actually, Hermione," he looked at her pointedly, "you'll be very impressed to learn that I did in fact buy Katie a gift and I'm taking her out this Saturday for dinner, too."

"Oh my, soon I'll be reading that the earth doesn't actually revolve around the sun," Hermione teased.

Ron rolled his eyes before turning them on Hermione in a doubtful stare. "And what tricks do you have up your sleeve?"

Giving him a quiet grin she replied, "I can't very well tell you. It's a secret and I'd like it to remain a secret." Her eyes flicked towards Ginny, who still stood behind her brother.

"Right, right," Ron muttered. "And you?" He turned to face the younger Weasley. "Did **you** remember what day it was?"

"Obviously," Ginny snorted as she crossed her arms. "I was the one who reminded you to do something for Katie."

"Oh, right," Ron mumbled as he averted his gaze, his face slowly matching the shade of his hair. "Well, we better grab some breakfast," he announced, as he puffed out his chest in an attempt to dismiss his recent embarrassment.

"Git," Ginny chuckled as she gave him a playful shove forward. She took a few steps and came to stand in front of Hermione, a lopsided grin on her face. "Morning, Love."

"Good morning, Gin," Hermione said in a quiet voice that sounded a lot more excited than she had intended.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Ginny said softly as she leaned in to kiss the brunette on the cheek before grasping her hand and pulling her towards the portrait hole. "I was thinking we could have breakfast on our own today," she announced, and Hermione found herself being ushered in the opposite direction they would have normally gone to get to the Great Hall. Her anticipation grew.

"My, Miss Weasley, what do you have planned?"

"Don't make me hopeful, Hermione," Ginny snickered as she briefly tickled Hermione's sides. The older girl squealed as she felt Ginny's nimble fingers crawling along her sides, and nearly missed them as they pulled away. She leaned over as they walked and kissed Ginny's cheek in a fleeting exchange. She smiled quietly as the redhead shot her a warm, but cursory glance.

"So, any further word from the Ministry?" Ginny asked as they walked down the stairs.

Hermione sighed as she recalled the entire situation.

"No. I'm assuming I passed the first interview. I mean, Mr. Noirent told me I did exceptionally and he told me, unofficially, that I would be moving on to the second interview. But, other than that, I haven't heard any news."

"Well, I'm sure coordinating Ms. Blake's and Mr. Scrimgeour's schedules is not an easy task, so don't be too worried. They'll get back to you soon," Ginny promised.

Hermione sighed once more and put her hand in Ginny's once more. "I suppose. But for now all I can really do is wait. Never-mind though, let's just enjoy the day."

"Sounds like a plan," Ginny smiled as she came to a stop, giving Hermione's hand a tug and pulling her back. Hermione was about to open her mouth in question, when the walls starting shifting and grinding. She looked over to see a large set of double doors appearing. Flashing a knowing smirk towards Ginny, she stated the obvious.

"Room of Requirement."

Ginny didn't respond. She just raised her eyebrows and gave Hermione a smug look before leading her inside. As they entered the room, Hermione's smirk grew into a broad smile as she saw the simple, yet elegant set up that lay within. What made her smile the most though was the sound of classical music that filtered across the room. The redhead must have spotted the expression on Hermione's face as the music gently rose and fell, because she began to explain.

"You mentioned that you like classical...I found what I could from the muggle section in the library about it and, well, here we are," she shrugged as she casually looked around the room. "It's really pretty you know - this music. I can see why you like it."

"You really like it?" Hermione asked, suddenly nervous and hopeful and she wasn't really sure why.

"Yeah," Ginny nodded and offered the brunette a gentle smile before wandering off towards the table situated in the middle of the room. "It's dynamic - moving."

"I'm glad you like it," Hermione smiled. "And this is one of my favourite pieces," she announced happily. "How did you know?"

Ginny eyes flitted about the room momentarily. "Um, I...," she frowned in concentration and Hermione found herself mimicking the girl's expression. "Actually," Ginny said with a shrug, "I had no idea. I just guessed when I picked the songs. I guess I picked well," she declared lightly as she pulled out a chair. "Please, have a seat."

"Perhaps just a lucky guess. We'll see how the rest of your choices hold up," Hermione teased as she went along with Ginny's offer and sat down.

The girls had a quiet breakfast together. Hermione found herself telling Ginny rather excitedly about the operas and symphonies that she'd gone to see with her parents over the years. Though Ginny didn't entirely understand, she seemed interested nevertheless. Reluctantly, both girls eventually headed to class. Yes, Hermione had to admit that even she could've done without class this morning.

As Hermione sat in her Ancient Runes class, Mandy sitting as far away as possible - as usual and not surprisingly - Hermione was interrupted from her note taking as something suddenly popped into existence in front of her face. She gasped and quickly smacked it down onto her desk before rapidly peering around her to see whether anyone else had noticed, but amazingly no one had.

With a stern frown, Hermione looked down to see a small parchment airplane sitting on her desk. With a silent sigh of impatience, she shoved it to the side of her desk. She began to listen intently to the professor once more and tried to catch up on what she'd missed, but she found herself glancing back at the piece of parchment. Haughtily, she swiftly set down her quill to snatch up the parchment and began to unfold it.

A smile crept onto her face, which she tried very hard to repress. She managed to keep it down to a satisfied smirk, but let out a silent chuckle. Taking one last look at the parchment that read "Happy Valentine's Day!" coupled with a drawing of a heart with the words "Ginny loves Hermione" along with a, "PS - Sorry to interrupt" inside, the brunette folded up the parchment into a square. Letting her fingers trail along the paper tenderly, a broader smile tugging at her lips again, she put the note away in her bag.

Yes, this year was far better than last.

* * *

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny sighed contently as she leaned against the wall in the empty Astronomy Tower that evening after dinner. She smiled fondly as she recalled Hermione looking upon the gaudy decorations in the Great Hall in strong distaste.

"_Must they do this every year? Honestly, it's completely unnecessary,_" she had proclaimed in disapproval as she marched them to their seats. The whole scenario making Ginny somehow find the girl even more appealing than usual.

Dinner had been a lot quieter than usual in the Great Hall, as couples were seated together, some talking intimately, some cuddling, others same as every other day. Odd how one day, deemed as 'romantic', could have such a hold over people and their behaviour. Still, despite this observation, Ginny was just as much a victim to its pull as the next person. She wanted today to be special for Hermione.

Ginny sighed again, this time a bit disappointed, as she examined the wrapped gift she held in her hand. The gift was underwhelming, Ginny had to admit. She really wanted to get Hermione more, but frankly, she just didn't have the money. Someday hopefully, but unfortunately, not right now. And after overhearing Hermione compliment Harry on his choice of gift for Luna, Ginny had to admit she had some reservations on how well this gift may be received. She rolled her eyes at herself - she knew Hermione would appreciate it, but still, Ginny felt she should've been able to provide Hermione with more.

"Hi."

Ginny's eyes snapped up as she heard a chipper voice coming from the stairwell. A smile crossed her face as she saw Hermione walking towards her, the brunette's hands hidden behind her back and a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Oh, so you decided to show up, did you?" Ginny teased lightly as she walked towards her girlfriend. She chuckled at the blatantly offended look the older girl shot her. "I'm just kidding," Ginny said. Hermione glowered at her, unimpressed.

"I'm not late," she argued.

"I know, I'm just early for a change," Ginny smirked. Hermione avoided Ginny's teasing gaze and the redhead leaned in to lay a lingering kiss on the older witch's turned cheek. Ginny pulled back, proud of her efforts as Hermione turned back to give a small smile.

"Here," Hermione said, still smiling, as she pulled her hands out from behind her back to hold out a wrapped package to Ginny. The redhead had to laugh as Hermione went up onto her tip-toes in excitement as she eagerly held the gift out.

"Thank you," Ginny smiled. "Do you want yours now?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not yet. You first."

Nodding, Ginny put the gift for Hermione aside and took the one being offered to her. She glanced up momentarily before ripping apart the paper and revealing the gift inside. She couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped as her mind quickly deduced just what she held in her hands.

"A Quidditch Planner?" Ginny asked in disbelief as she looked back to Hermione, wide eyed, mouth hanging open. Hermione nodded enthusiastically, her eyes bright and a broad grin on her face.

"I know you're not captain **yet**," Hermione said pointedly with a wink, "but when you are, I believe you'll find that this will be rather useful."

Ginny felt overwhelmed as she stared at the item in her hands. Quidditch Planners were very rare, very expensive and highly coveted. Her and her brothers had always talked about them, each dreaming of owning one, but of course it was far out of their reach. Even with her brothers being as successful as they were now, buying a Quidditch Planner, if impractical at this point considering they'd all dropped quidditch, would still be a huge purchase. Only the most prominent quidditch players owned them.

"_Hermione must've spent an absolute fortune on this_," Ginny thought in wonder. This made the dress that Hermione bought last year look nearly insignificant when it came to cost.

Ginny's eyes wandered to the gift she brought for Hermione. She felt her breath leave her and her stomach tied in knots. If the gift felt underwhelming before, it felt absolutely pathetic now. Her mind tried to argue that it was sentimental value that mattered, but she couldn't help but berate herself. Hermione's gift was sentimental as well as very useful. Practical as ever, that Hermione.

Hermione's look of excitement faltered as she exhaled nervously, her eyes flitting away momentarily. "You don't like it?" She asked in worry.

"This is too much, Mione," Ginny said as she tried to push the gift back into Hermione's hand. The brunette let out a laugh shadowed in uncertainty as she pushed the gift back towards Ginny.

"Don't be silly," Hermione insisted. "I'm more than happy to give it to you," she smiled reassuringly.

"It's too much - really," Ginny insisted in a quiet voice as she studied the planner a few seconds longer before holding it back out to Hermione, determinedly.

"What?" Hermione asked as she shook her head in confusion, all the while refusing to take the planner. "What's wrong, Gin?" She asked. "Well, if you don't like it, just tell me. I'll get you something else, then," she offered in a light voice as she gave her girlfriend a gentle smile that Ginny could tell was masking impending hurt.

The redhead huffed and hunched her shoulders momentarily while averting her frown elsewhere. "I like it," she sighed, "It's great. I just - doesn't matter. Thank you," she said as she tucked the planner under her arm. She picked up Hermione's gift and grit her teeth at the feeling that came over her. She pushed past it best she could and held the gift out to Hermione. "Here. Happy Valentine's Day," she wished rather glumly.

Hermione gave her a frown, but quickly offered a smile as she took the gift. She turned it over in her hands for a moment, and Ginny's feeling of embarrassment and shame grew.

The brunette began to reach for an exposed flap of the wrapping when Ginny spoke rather urgently; a pre-emptive desire to defend herself taking over at least somewhat.

"Your fourth year, fifth, sixth," Ginny counted off on her hand before announcing, "for 3 years now, I've wanted to spoil you on Valentine's Day and this is my first chance to. I don't have a lot of money..." Suddenly, Ginny felt much more content to study the ground. She really didn't want to see the look of false excitement or the smile of consolation on Hermione's face when she saw her lacklustre gift.

"Listen to me, Ginny," Hermione said, as she reached out to rest a hand on the redhead's chest while seeking eye contact. The contact made Ginny's heart beat faster and warmth seemed to radiate from the spot. Once she finally looked up, Hermione spoke gently, but insistently. "It has nothing to do with money. You should know that," she declared. She waited for a nod, even if subtle, from her girlfriend before continuing. "The fact that it's from you is more than enough. And all the things you've done for me today, or any day for that matter," she said as a smile grew across her face, "that means more to me than any material gift. I just want you."

Ginny exhaled brusquely and momentarily rolled her eyes, refusing to bring them back to brunette. She was amazed that Hermione didn't snap at her or call her out on the action, rather, the girl continued to watch Ginny with caring eyes. Though her reaction should've made Ginny feel better, it actually made her feel worse. She really appreciated Hermione's words and she did believe her, truly, but it didn't change the fact that Ginny suddenly didn't feel good enough. That git, Percy's, argument from Christmas didn't really help either.

Having a job, even if it was just at her brothers' shop, certainly helped Ginny feel a bit better off, but it didn't change the fact that she was probably still the poorest girl**, person**,at Hogwarts - well, perhaps other than Ron. Hermione came from a good home, good money, and was used to nice things. The brunette never flaunted it, but Ginny knew that Hermione lived quite comfortably and had no financial worries. Ginny wished that she could whisk Hermione away on a trip somewhere exotic or surprise her with a gift that she'd wanted, but couldn't get for herself, but that just wasn't possible. The young Weasley knew very well that Hermione loved her, especially cemented by their talks at the Burrow over the holidays, but at times like this Ginny wanted more for Hermione.

"I know you don't believe me-" Hermione started.

"I believe you," Ginny interjected with resigned acceptance. "I just - I wish I could do more for you."

"Gin-"

"I bet some Ministry woman could take you to Italy - wine and dine you," Ginny said, only just now reconnecting her gaze with the brunette's. "Buy you nice jewellery or take you to an exclusive event."

"I don't need any of those things," Hermione insisted, her voice growing stronger. Some vulnerable part of Ginny was quick to interpret it as pity or consolation, of which she wanted neither.

"Right. You have your own money," Ginny stated evenly as she stared at Hermione defiantly.

"Gin." Hermione's tone was somewhere between warning and pleading.

"It's shoddy and cheap," Ginny announced in a flat voice as she gestured to the gift Hermione held in her hands. Not wanting to look at the brunette, Ginny settled with staring darkly outside. "You can just toss it under your bed or something."

"Gin, stop it right now," Hermione cried as she pointed a finger at the redhead. Ginny's gaze snapped back to see the older girl's eyes were shimmering with unshed tears and there was a level of anger and hurt behind them that Ginny hadn't seen in quite some time.

Hermione visibly swallowed and closed her eyes for a couple of seconds before opening them again. Her finger remained pointed at Ginny and she moved it in emphasis as she spoke. "You don't have any idea how horrible I felt last year. You don't know how much it hurt to see you choose Demelza over me - to see you two together every day while I sat on my own thinking about you, **crying** about you-" Ginny tried to interrupt, but Hermione shot her a look that made her back down. "-**don't** interrupt me! I know you feel bad, Gin, I do - about this," she said a bit quieter as she held up the still-wrapped gift, "And I know that last year was probably mostly my fault, but it doesn't change the fact that I did hurt every single day for **months**." She took a moment to catch her breath.

"My point is, you obviously don't know how terrible it was for me or else you'd know how much spending a day with you, any day, not just today, means to me. You would know how incredible it feels to wake up every day knowing that you love me and want to be with me. Knowing that the smile you flash across the table in the morning is for me, and no one else. So clearly, you don't understand or else you'd know that getting a gift from you at all means worlds to me."

Ginny was rendered speechless, even though the opportunity to interrupt had finally presented itself, she just didn't know what to say. Hermione cleared her throat and began to speak, her voice shakier than before.

"So, please, don't say things like that. They undermine our relationship and they imply things that don't even reflect a fraction of how I truly feel. It has absolutely nothing to do with money."

She took another breath and looked towards the Quidditch Planner that was still tucked under Ginny's arm. "I didn't buy you that to make you feel bad. I bought it for you because I know how passionate you are about quidditch and I know you want to pursue it professionally. I wanted to contribute to your dream in some way. I got it for you because I believed it would be thoughtful and practical, not because of the cost."

"I'm so sorry, Mione," Ginny said quietly as she took a tentative step towards the brunette who still had a finger pointed in the younger girl's face - though with much less conviction now. "I didn't mean what I said," she confessed with shame in her voice. "I'm sorry. I lashed out at you because I felt...," she glanced around nervously, "embarrassed...ashamed...I don't know," she sighed. "I just think you deserve better from me."

Hermione looked like she was about to erupt in emotion again, but Ginny gently, yet firmly, placed her hands on the girl's arms, ignoring how Hermione tensed up under the contact.

"Hear me out," Ginny begged. "I just - I love you so much. I would give you absolutely everything in this whole world if I could. I **know** you don't need those things though...I know. I just wish I was in a position to give them to you anyway. I want the best for you," she proclaimed. "I don't know, I heard you this morning talking with Harry about how lucky Luna was getting jewellery and my gift to you certainly isn't jewellery."

Ginny saw that Hermione about to interrupt, but didn't let her.

"I know, I know, I get it now. You don't want jewellery, but still, I just felt bad," she sighed. "And I'm sorry about last year, I really am. What you said about how you feel about us now was really sweet. It makes me really happy to hear that...and really, that's what's important to me. I just wish I could spoil you on top of that."

"You do," Hermione insisted. She stared imploringly at Ginny and went on. "The book you gave me over summer, that was so incredible. It shows just how thoughtful, caring and brilliant you are. And the fact that you gave it to me despite the...situation...that we were in, it means that much more. The Quidditch Planner doesn't compare to the book."

Ginny gave Hermione a look. "The Quidditch Planner is brilliant and very generous. It's great, truly. Thank you."

"That wasn't my point," Hermione asserted, looking very stern.

"I know. I'm sorry," Ginny sighed. She gave a few reluctant nods of her head and eventually leaned her forehead against Hermione's, who by now had brought her hands up to rest around Ginny's waist.

"Did I ruin Valentine's Day?" Ginny grumbled.

Hermione giggled softly and tilted her head up to meet Ginny's lips in a kiss.

"No, you didn't. This is still the best Valentine's Day I ever had," she smiled. "You know, last year I think I actually finally had a moment of understanding regarding Snape. I think every day must feel like Valentine's Day to him," she said with a teasing gleam in her eye.

Ginny rolled her eyes and gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry..."

"I'm just teasing, Gin," the brunette stated as she brought her hand up to Ginny's chin. "And I brought up last year to make a point - not to make you feel bad."

"Fine, I understand," Ginny accepted in exaggerated gloom. A moment later she mustered up her best, winning smile. "Next year's Valentine's Day will be even better - I promise."

Hermione kissed her once more and pulled back, biting her lip in anticipation as her eyes lit up. "Can I open your gift now?"

"Wait – one more thing. You said you want to contribute to my dream...I just need to know, do you think it's juvenile that I want to play quidditch? Do you think we'll actually grow apart? You're about to start great things, Mione..."

Hermione looked perplexed for a moment before replying, "What? What's gotten into you? Since when do **you** worry about those things?"

Ginny sighed in exasperation, more-so at the feeling of stupidity that was brewing inside of her. The whole thing was silly. "I don't know," she mumbled with a shrug. "Percy said some ridiculous stuff that kind of made sense at the same time."

"What? When?" Hermione replied with an intensity that forced the redhead to bite back a laugh.

"Christmas-"

"Gin! You've been worrying about this for over a month? You-"

"I know, I know," Ginny chanted with a few submissive nods. "I don't worry about it much. Just you know – sometimes."

"Ginny. Well, what did he say?"

"That you'll essentially outgrow me. He had a point though. You're about to change the world, all I want to do is play a sport."

"Honestly," the brunette scoffed as she folded her arms against her chest. "I can't believe you'd listen to his rubbish. Yes, you and I have different dreams, but I fell in love with you knowing and appreciating that. And neither dream makes one of us better than the other. I don't need or want you to be the same as me."

"But you were worried about what would happen to us after Hogwarts, too," the younger girl said in a bit of a sullen voice.

"For different reasons," Hermione argued. "God, Ginny. Everyone loves you. You have a bright future – lots of adventure and excitement in store. I'm going to be at a desk for the next 30 plus years. I've been worried about you getting bored of me. I have no doubts on how I feel about you."

"I don't think you're boring - at all," Ginny proclaimed. "I rather like you, actually," she continued flippantly. She smiled as she spotted the brunette rolling her eyes, but fighting back a smirk.

"No more nonsense, okay?" Hermione said with a meaningful stare. "Can I finally open my gift now?"

Ginny indulged the brunette in a small smile and nodded her response. She chuckled gently as Hermione 's smile brightened and immediately went to open the gift. The redhead watched in nervous anticipation as the contents of the package was rapidly revealed. Hermione gently placed the still-intact wrapping paper neatly on the ground as she looked at the cover of her gift. Before opening it further, she looked up to Ginny, still smiling.

A silent, yet relieved, sigh escaped Ginny's mouth as Hermione gasped when she looked at the first page.

"Gin," she breathed as she slowly flipped the pages of the album, her eyes intently scanning the contents of each page. "Oh, it's wonderful!"

From where Ginny was standing, she could see the various pictures that she had pulled together of her and Hermione through the years, along with the accompanying blurbs that she had wrote about each photo. Her throat tightened as Hermione closed the album in a hurry and threw her arms around Ginny, the hug nearly bowling them over. Ginny laughed and kissed Hermione's neck out of instinct.

When Hermione pulled back, she had tears in her eyes and Ginny repressed a small laugh.

"See," Hermione exclaimed in exasperation. "I would take this over all the gold in Gringotts - 1,000 times over!"

"I don't know," Ginny teased. "I think I'd rather have the gold." She laughed as Hermione delivered a swift punch in the arm. "Ow, okay, okay. I'm just kidding. I'm glad you like it," the younger girl smiled.

Hermione smiled warmly at Ginny, her dark eyes still watery. "It's incredible, Ginny. Thank you." Ginny smiled broadly as she was pulled into another hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Ginny reciprocated.

Hermione opened up the album once more and panned through it, smiling all the while. Ginny had to let out an amused laugh.

When the brunette looked up, she closed the album and gave Ginny a very unimpressed look. When she spoke, she spoke in a lofty voice, an eyebrow raised in something resembling arrogance. "You know, I don't typically care at all about Valentine's Day. It's a rather commercial, manufactured holiday," she declared. "However," she dropped her haughty facade and smiled a bit devilishly at Ginny, "now that you're involved, I think I quite like it."

Ginny suppressed her grin enough to plant a heated kiss on Hermione's lips. "That's good enough for me."

**AN**: I swear to God I didn't plan for this to be published on Valentine's Day (or close to), the timing just happened to work out perfectly. Okay, so much dreadful fluff - try not to hate me. It felt like a good idea at the time lol. I'll post the next chapter a bit sooner. Thank you again to everyone for sticking around and thank you to newcomers for giving this story a chance :)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny yawned as she flipped a page of her History textbook, blinking hard in an attempt to refocus her eyes on the writing before her. She took a moment to check her watch and a small sigh escaped her. She'd have to go to practice soon, whether Hermione had returned or not.

Currently, Ginny was hiding out in Hermione's dorm room. The privacy was always a perk, but Hermione had also requested that Ginny be there when she got back from her final interview with the Ministry. Hermione had acted very nonchalant this morning before departing, even saying that it didn't matter whether she got the job or not. Ginny had played along, knowing that it comforted the older girl to go with that approach, no matter how far from the truth it was. That had been nearly three hours ago, now.

Ginny was still lounging on the bed, struggling through the dry material of the latest lesson when Crookshanks shot up from his spot on her lap and bolted over to the door to begin pacing impatiently back and forth. The redhead watched the door, knowing that Hermione was on her way. Sure enough, Ginny heard Hermione say the password and the door began to open to grant her access to the room.

Ginny returned her gaze to her textbook as she saw Hermione's figure emerge from the doorway. She casually looked up to the brunette and greeted her with an easy, "Hello."

The older girl merely sighed heavily in response while setting her things down on a nearby table. Ginny wasn't put off by Hermione's lack of an articulate reply, and instead waited with an unusual sense of patience for Hermione to tell her about the interview in her own time. Quietly admiring Hermione in her sharp new outfit wasn't a bad pastime either.

The redhead continued to look at the passages in her book, but was truthfully watching Hermione slowly remove the bobby pins from her hair, noting how the brunette was staring into the mirror in a somewhat scrutinizing manner. Ginny was about to lose interest when suddenly a loud noise erupted across the room, enough to startle Crookshanks into scurrying under the bed, as Hermione slammed her hand down on the dresser and spun around to face Ginny.

"**Who** does she think she is?" Hermione spat as she took a couple of purposeful steps forward into the center of the room and began angrily pacing.

Ginny didn't have a chance to respond before the older girl carried on in the same vehement way.

"She thought I was so naive. You should've seen her face when she read S.P.E.W. in my cover letter. 'Spew?'," Hermione relayed in a mocking tone before huffing her exasperation. "The woman just looked so absolutely put-off not just by me, but the whole project - like it was a waste of time and she was forced to be there; likely, she was."

"Mione, I know you're upset, but maybe she and the Minister were doing the whole good guy/bad buy routine," Ginny suggested and ignored the look her girlfriend gave her, though she was pleased that Hermione had at least stopped moving around. Ginny forged on. "And if she really is uninterested in the project, I guess her involvement just means that someone higher, the Minister, is interested. And you know that she's just trying to pick the right person for the job, she's probably just testing you. Dad says she's reasonable, the Minister likes her - she can't be that bad. And if she's remotely logical, she'll see that you're the perfect person for the job."

Ginny ignored Hermione's look of disdain, the girl slowly spinning on her heel to begin her pacing once more.

"That woman," the brunette scoffed, "she hated me from the get-go." She locked eyes with Ginny and spoke in the same mocking voice from earlier, "'Gryffindor girl, hm? I was a Slytherin girl, myself. Head Girl as well.'"

Ginny had to admit that that would've set her off, too. But she had to at least attempt to be positive for Hermione's sake. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

The older girl sighed wearily. "I don't know," she said quietly as she trudged over to the bed and finally took up a seat on the edge. "Well, the Minister seemed to think I was...okay," she relented. "But Ms. Blake seemed very doubtful of me. She asked me what inspired me to work on the house-elf initiative and I gave her my speech and she nearly laughed in my face," Hermione exclaimed, her previous gloom replaced with indignation once more. "Oh, it was terrible, Gin," Hermione moaned as she buried her face in her hands.

Ginny scooted over to the spot next to Hermione and put her arm around her, kissing the top of the girl's head before speaking.

"I'm sorry it went that way. But, first things first, I'm going to guess that when you said the Minister thought you were 'okay', that meant he really liked you. Plus with the glowing recommendations from Dumbledore and McGonagall, you're a shoe-in for sure. I'm sure you did incredible."

Hermione still didn't look convinced, but she did look considerably less upset. She absently pet Crookshanks who had ventured out from under the bed to settle himself into her lap.

"Maybe," she conceded. "I just felt so...young. And inexperienced."

"You're mature and you've done a lot more with your life already than a lot of people have who have years on you, so you know that's not true. I'm sure Ms. Blake was just messing with you, see how you held up under pressure. If you're going to be presenting new, controversial policies to a reluctant government, or at least reluctant public, then you'll need to be strong and she needs to know you can handle it."

Hermione sighed in defeat. "I guess you're right. Ah well," she shrugged, "they told me that I'd hear their decision, either way, in a few weeks time."

Ginny nodded. "And keep in mind that a lot of people were already cut from the competition. The fact that you made it this far says a lot." Hermione gave a reluctant nod. "Well," Ginny shrugged with a small smile, "guess it's time to play the waiting game. In the meantime," she said as she drew out the word, "try not to fret too much, okay? I know you're going to over-analyze the whole thing relentlessly, but just try to relax. You did great – I'm sure."

"You know I can't relax," Hermione retorted, looking irritated.

"Try."

Ginny bit back a laugh as the brunette rolled her eyes in frustration, but said nothing further. Leaning forward, Ginny lay a kiss on Hermione's temple before standing up next to the bed. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to go to practice. You don't have to come, I know you have a lot on your mind."

"No," Hermione more or less groaned as she forced herself up from the bed. "I'll go."

"Don't be so enthusiastic, Mione," Ginny winked. She ignored her girlfriend's unimpressed stare and continued on. "I'll try to make it an eventful practice. There are some new plays I want to try. One of them is a bit dangerous though, I-"

Hermione cut off Ginny's explanation with a noise of discontent. "Please, no. My nerves can't handle anything more. Just listen to Harry for a change, will you?"

Ginny sighed. "Oh fine - just take the fun right out of it."

* * *

**Hermione POV**

Hermione settled herself against the wall of the vacant Astronomy Tower and opened her book bag with a sigh. She should be in the Great Hall having lunch, but she just had no appetite right now and was on the brink of a very large decision. Knowing that the Astronomy Tower would be empty, she retreated to it in hope of peace and solitude. She didn't even tell Ginny that she was coming here.

Hesitating, Hermione pulled out the letter she received from her parents earlier that morning at breakfast. She unfolded the letter and read it over once more.

_Hermione,_

_Hi sweetheart, how are you? We just got your letter, I think the owl must have understood our request because he's still here waiting for us to write you this response. First off, we want to let you know how very proud of you we are. We know that you're scared right now, this is a very significant time in your life, but you know that you have our support whether you decide to accept this opportunity or not. And no, you are not silly (entirely) for wishing for a 'no' instead, it is always easier to make a decision when there are no choices left to pick from. It looks like you impressed the Ministry and now you have to decide whether to pursue your passion or not – not an easy decision._

_We're sure you have support from others, too. What about Ginny? We somehow foresee that she'd support you just as enthusiastically as us. _

_Well, we know you will make the decision that is best for you. Let us know what you decide._

_Love always,_

_Mom and Dad_

Hermione frowned as she read the letter. When she sent the letter to them just yesterday letting them know that she was offered the job, she already knew that they wouldn't make this decision for her, so that wasn't a surprise. What caught Hermione off guard was the segment on Ginny. The feeling that Hermione had last year about her parents knowing a tad more about the dynamic between her and Ginny, even before they were dating, popped up again. She couldn't be completely sure, but she wouldn't it put it past them - she did have to get her brains from somewhere, after all.

Releasing another quiet sigh, Hermione folded up the letter and tucked it away. She reached into a different compartment of her bag and pulled out the letter of offer from the Ministry. All she had to do was sign here, there, and everywhere, send it off and it'd be done. There was the requirement that she submit proof that she passed her N.E.W.T.s at the end of the year, but that shouldn't be an issue at all.

"Hello, Hermione."

Hermione started and her head snapped up to see Luna reaching the top of the stairs and taking a few steps toward her.

"Luna," she exhaled in surprise, "I didn't hear you come up. What are you doing up here, shouldn't you be having lunch?" She asked.

"I ate enough," Luna replied airily. "My appetite never stays for too long when the Wrackspurts are around and they're practically everywhere today."

"Ah," Hermione said, stopping herself from laughing or rolling her eyes.

"Have you made your decision?" Luna asked, still standing in the middle of the room, hands behind her back, as she eyed Hermione with quiet curiosity.

"Oh," the older girl said, looking down at the documents in her lap. She gave a bit of a strained laugh. "Not really." She considered ending her response there, but there was always something about Luna that made her say more than she would otherwise. "I want someone to make the decision for me, but I know nobody can. I think it's a situation where I already know the answer, I just don't really like it, although it's my choice in the first place."

Luna nodded and proceeded to walk over to the railing, leaning against it, the light from outside illuminating her nearly translucent hair. "A lot of responsibility, and a lot of change," Luna commented. "But, you have taken on far more responsibility than most from day one, and someone of your nature is more than capable of dealing with this sort of challenge. I would imagine that you actually thrive on it - especially in this case, you would be learning so much."

Hermione was about to respond when the other girl spoke once more, her voice still light as ever. "But that's not what you're worried about, are you?"

Hermione watched Luna closely. The Ravenclaw looked calmly around the room, quietly taking in their surroundings and not bothering to make eye contact. The older girl imagined that Luna knew she didn't need eye contact to make her point.

"No," Hermione responded softly.

Luna waited a few moments before asking, "And?"

"And, I don't know. I know Ginny is supportive, but...I don't want to leave her," Hermione admitted and surprised herself with how easily she made the admission to Luna, not even blushing over the statement.

"Other than the obvious reasons, what has you worried?" Luna asked, still not letting her gaze fall upon the brunette.

The Head Girl idly examined the floor as she worked through her thoughts. "I trust her," Hermione proclaimed sincerely, "that's not the issue. I just," she paused as she began to stumble over her words, "I have always been content to be on my own, I didn't **need** anyone. But now..." Hermione shook her head and laughed in embarrassment. "I don't really know how it happened, but I need her. I can't be the same as before. It's silly, really. You must think-"

"I'm very happy to hear you say those things," Luna interjected, finally looking to the brunette. "It was painful watching you repress your emotions so much last year and even the year before. It's great to see you so open now," she smiled, drawing that inevitable blush out of Hermione. "But, as you said, Ginny supports you. She'll be with you even if you're in France, you know. She's very loyal and I think she's quite fond of you," Luna declared with a light smile. "I think you two are lucky enough that you can be apart and love each other the same or even more than before. You won't be alone."

Hermione gave Luna a watery smile and thanked her, feeling as though a great load had been lifted from her shoulders. It was not as though she and Ginny hadn't had this discussion, it just felt even truer to hear it from someone else, and she knew Luna's word was good. The blonde gave Hermione a small smile and began to walk over toward the stairs.

"Oh, you don't have to go, Luna," Hermione called out to her.

"It's okay," Luna said lightly. "I don't want to intrude."

"It's fine, really, I was just going over some documents. It was really nice talking with you, it wasn't an intrusion at all," Hermione insisted.

Luna took one step down and turned to wave at Hermione, still smiling.

Hermione went to call out again, but realized that Luna did everything deliberately and there was likely a reason she left when she did. The brunette sighed and returned her attention to the letter of offer that was still in her lap. A few minutes later, she heard quiet footsteps ascending the stairs, a quicker pace than Luna's had been when she left.

Hermione silently observed the staircase, looking for any sign of who was arriving and a quiet smile played across her face as she saw a mane of red hair.

"There you are," Ginny greeted, sounding somewhat exasperated, but mostly cheerful. "I saw Luna skipping by in the hall and she was singing some song about Jupiter and stars," she quirked an eyebrow and gave Hermione a knowing grin.

"She's a clever one, that Luna," the older girl concurred. "And oddly sneaky."

"I'd like to blame that on Harry, but I think she was like that even before him," Ginny laughed as she crossed the room and sat down next to Hermione. She eyed the document that the brunette was holding and she merely stated, "Letter of offer."

"Yes," Hermione responded, nearly gulping in the process.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ginny asked, not sounding offended or hurt like Hermione had anticipated she would be, just curious.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Hermione responded. "I just needed to think about it. I contemplated just sending them a 'no'." She was quickly faced with a look of indignation from her girlfriend and hurriedly finished. "But, I knew I couldn't do that."

"Good."

Hermione gave Ginny a tired look. "I guess you and I have both known what was coming. I'm just afraid, even more so now that the moment's here."

"I know," Ginny said, and Hermione felt the redhead sling an arm around her waist, pulling the brunette closer. The older girl was content to just sit quietly in the embrace. Ginny placed a soft kiss on Hermione's head before releasing her and reaching across into her book bag. After a moment, Ginny pulled back and presented Hermione with a quill and bottle of ink.

"You know what you need to do."

With a hint of reluctance, Hermione unsteadily took the items and set them down next to her. She laid the letter of offer down on the floor, flipping to the first appropriate page and dipped her quill in the ink. Her hand hovered mere millimetres above the parchment. "I don't know, Gin. I-"

"Hermione," Ginny cut in, her tone unyielding, her eyes seeking out the brunette's. "Listen to me." Hermione nodded half-heartedly. "You were personally approached by the team lead for this groundbreaking project. You have been championing elf rights since fourth year. You will never get another opportunity like this. You have to take it. You **know** you have to. And you know that if I wasn't in the equation you would've signed that document in a heartbeat."

Hermione sighed heavily and her shoulders fell forward. She was about to speak when Ginny cut her off.

"And I'll dump you if you don't take this opportunity." Hermione's jaw dropped in offense over the threat, and the younger girl gave her a teasing grin. "Well, temporarily, anyhow. And I'd just put you in a body-bind, forge your name and send that acceptance off, so really, just make it easy on yourself and do up the paperwork of your own free will."

The brunette gave Ginny a look of reproach before it abruptly faded into a solemn smile and she leaned forward, capturing Ginny's lips in a kiss.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered. "I don't think you have any idea how much I love you."

Ginny gave her a bit of a cheeky grin. "Well, feel free to give me a few hints from time to time."

"I will," Hermione laughed as she leaned in once more to kiss her girlfriend. The brunette leaned her forehead against Ginny's for a few moments before pulling back and with a steadying breath, she put quill against parchment.

A while later, she and Ginny had walked to the owlery. With a large, shuddering sigh, Hermione sent the owl on his way, cementing a future for herself which would lead her down a path that she didn't quite yet know.

**AN**: Okay, so I seem to have lied about updating sooner. I apologize for the delay - I ran into a few minor complications. So, a big thank you to a certain someone (you know who you are) for helping me get back on track. Is there any less fluff in this chapter? I'm not really certain lol. But, we're still chugging along...there will be drama someday! I hope everyone has a great week!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_**Hermione POV**_

"Mom, we need to go, Ginny will be there soon."

Hermione stood by the door, shoes on and ready to go. She didn't want to seem over-eager, but she knew her anticipation didn't stand much of a chance of going unnoticed under her parents' watchful eyes. She spotted her mom and dad leisurely cleaning up in the kitchen and she sighed impatiently before calling out again, this time more curtly, "Mom, Dad!"

"We're coming, Hermione, take it easy," her dad responded in a placating manner as he emerged from the kitchen and gave her a mild look.

Hermione sighed under her breath and averted her gaze, squaring her shoulders. She realized that she was acting quite juvenile and even a bit bratty, but she was anxious to see Ginny again. Though Hermione had stopped by the Burrow for a couple of days right after leaving Hogwarts, it had been a couple of weeks since then. Add on to that the fact that she was worried that Ginny would arrive in the middle of London without anyone there to meet her. Sure, Ginny was very capable, but she had never really spent much time in the muggle world and London was far different than the Burrow - she might be scared.

"Did you get the spare bedroom ready?" Hermione's mother asked as she fetched her shoes out of the closet in the entryway.

"No," Hermione replied as her heart raced in her chest and she struggled to appear casual. "I didn't get a chance to, but it's okay, we only have a couple of days before going to Paris and her and I are used to sharing a room anyway," she reasoned.

"Doesn't make a difference to me," her mother replied, grabbing her purse off of the table and she began to walk towards the front door. "Whatever works best for you two."

"Finally," Hermione muttered quietly as she led the way out of the house and to their car that was parked in the driveway, her parents in tow. She had offered to just pick Ginny up herself by apparating over, but her parents insisted on being there to pick Ginny up.

Their drive from the suburbs to the heart of London was quiet, though Hermione felt like her parents had something on their mind.

"Thanks for taking the day off," she said from the backseat, feeling rather like a small child again.

"Not a problem," her dad answered, who sat behind the wheel, navigating them through the increasingly busy roads.

"We've been waiting a while to truly meet this Ginny," her mother added. "Is she nervous about coming to stay with us? Us being muggles and all?"

Hermione smirked. "Yes, she's quite nervous," she informed them, though she was well aware that Ginny was nervous for other reasons - none of which had much to do with Hermione's parents being muggles.

Just the other day, in fact, Hermione had sent a letter off to Ginny, trying to reassure her about her upcoming visit. Ginny was uncharacteristically anxious, rambling off all the things that could go wrong and how Hermione's parents might not like her and how that could ruin things, and, and, and - Hermione had to admit that she hadn't seen the redhead act that way very often.

Hermione could understand where the younger girl was coming from though. It had been nerve-racking coming out to Ginny's parents at Christmas, and Hermione had known the Weasleys for years and had always been treated warmly by them. Ginny was coming into this with really no prior relationship with the Grangers and that had to be scary. Hermione, herself, wasn't entirely sure how her parents would take it. She knew they had high expectations for her, she just hoped that this development went well with what they had envisioned for her, and if it didn't, then they'd just have to agree to disagree.

"Aw, poor girl," her mother cut in, interrupting Hermione's musings. "I hope you told her that we're not so scary," she laughed lightly.

"Yes, I did, but she just wants you to like her," Hermione replied after deciding it wouldn't hurt to drop a bit of a hint.

"If you like her, then we like her," her mother assured.

"Thanks, Mom."

The car grew quiet again with the exception of the quiet murmur of news over the radio. Hermione leaned forward slightly as she peered out the window at the surroundings that went by. They were only about a minute or two from their destination and she felt butterflies stirring in her stomach. A short while later her father parked along the street and Hermione told her parents to wait while she went to look for Ginny.

It was mid-day, so parking had been a terrible task and they ended up a couple of blocks from where Ginny would be arriving. The brunette walked swiftly among the sea of pedestrians, only looking down once to check her watch.

"_A few minutes late, I hope Ginny's okay_," she thought to herself as she quickened her pace.

Hermione rounded the corner and spotted a series of phone booths lined along the sidewalk. She quickly scanned the surrounding area for any sign of the younger girl and felt herself begin to grow anxious just before she finally spotted a head of flaming red hair a short ways past the booths. Hermione closed in on Ginny quickly, and soon noticed that the girl was engaged in conversation with a young woman who looked like she could have been plucked off of a fashion runway in Milan.

Hermione wordlessly came up beside her girlfriend, tentatively glancing between the redhead and the woman.

"'Mione!" Ginny exclaimed - startling the other woman - before throwing her arms around Hermione, completely ignorant of how her outburst had unnerved the stranger.

Hermione felt most of her unease melt away and she eagerly returned the hug, pulling back a few moments later and smiling. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Ginny reciprocated, still looking excited. She must have eventually noticed the woman deliberating whether to walk away or not and spoke up. "Hey, this is Gabrielle," she said as she gestured to the woman who gave a short nod. "She's visiting from out of town. She says she needs directions," she explained brightly while looking to the brunette for assistance.

"_I'll bet she does,_" Hermione thought as she eyed Ginny in all her innocence before turning a doubtful eye to the woman in question.

Admittedly, Hermione was a little less than chummy as she asked the girl where she was headed and consequently rattled off some directions. But soon enough, the girl was gone.

"Bye! Have fun!" Ginny called, waving, before turning to Hermione. The redhead still looked completely clueless about what just happened.

"Ginny," the brunette chided, though she gave the younger girl an affectionate look. "Leave it to you to be in London for two seconds and to have a girl from 'out of town' asking for your much needed help." Ginny just gave her a befuddled look. Hermione rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated laugh. "She was hitting on you, Gin!"

"Huh?" Ginny asked, looking further confused and reminding Hermione a bit too much of Ron.

"Honestly," Hermione laughed further as they approached her parents' car. "You're lucky you're cute," she whispered as she hurriedly leaned in to her girlfriend's ear before pulling away, putting a few strides between them.

She walked to the opposite side of the car and looked across the roof of it to see Ginny tensely standing at the door, the expression on her face half lost and half pleading.

"It's okay, Gin," Hermione said softly, flashing Ginny a smile of reassurance. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "They're going to love you." Not giving Ginny a chance to respond, Hermione opened her door and gave her girlfriend a nod of encouragement. "Come on, then."

The brunette repressed a laugh as she heard Ginny let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a whimper.

Hermione settled into her seat and reached for her seatbelt, watching Ginny get in. She winced, along with her parents, as the redhead knocked her head on the car's frame as she got in.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright?" Hermione's mother asked as she turned in her seat to examine Ginny.

"I'm fine," Ginny said quietly as her face grew crimson and she gently closed the door.

"You sure?" Hermione asked gently as her hand came to rest on the younger girl's leg.

"Uh," Ginny paused, "Yeah, I'm fine, really." Her eyes came to meet Hermione's in an exaggerated look of warning as she glanced down deliberately at her lap. The brunette was momentarily confused until she realized that her hand was still upon Ginny's leg and promptly pulled back. She was certain that her mother saw, but she refused to get worked up over it since the secret would be out in a short while anyway.

Their drive home wasn't half bad. Ginny had eventually regained her confidence and entered into an easy conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Granger. The topics ranged from school, to family, and Hermione's parents had even ventured onto the topic of quidditch. They didn't know a thing about quidditch other than the fact that Ginny was obsessed with it. Hermione had been content to remain quiet during the drive, allowing the other three to acquaint themselves with one another and without her involvement. However, she did speak up eventually.

"It really is great to finally meet you," Hermione's mother reiterated her earlier sentiments as she turned in her seat to face Ginny. "We had heard so much about you and we're so glad you could make it this year. We asked Hermione to invite you last year, but I guess it didn't work o-"

"Instead, she just moped around all summer!" Mr. Granger chimed in with a bit of a laugh.

"Dad!" Hermione exclaimed adamantly.

"There we were," he went on calmly, "up in the Alps, most beautiful sight you'd ever see, and there was Hermione, lost in her thoughts, looking forlorn," he said with a quiet chuckle.

"Oh my god," Hermione moaned as she hung her head in her hands, refusing to meet Ginny's gaze, knowing the girl's eyes were on her.

"Well, we're here now," Hermione dad announced as they pulled into the drive and he put the car into park.

Hermione groaned once more and slowly exited the vehicle. Her mother eyed her sympathetically, but with an irritating hint of amusement.

"Mom," Hermione said in a low grumble, "please don't let Dad do that," she quietly pleaded. "It's embarrassing."

Her mother simply gave her a small smile before ushering her into the house. "This way, Ginny," her mother called back.

"Wow," Ginny breathed as they approached the doorstep. "You're house is so nice - the whole neighbourhood!"

"Oh, thank you," Mrs. Granger replied with a warm smile. She opened the door and they went inside; Ginny's eyes grew wider. "It's not much, really, but it's home. It's awfully quiet without Hermione around during the school year."

"Cause she's so loud," Ginny quipped before she could stop herself. She looked embarrassed before both Mr. and Mrs. Granger broke out into laughter.

"Okay, I think you guys have had enough laughs at my expense," Hermione stated dryly. "Ginny?" She prompted. "Should we take your bags upstairs?"

Once upstairs, Ginny was astounded at the size of Hermione's room, expressed by the way she examined it in an almost star-struck way.

"Your house is amazing," Ginny sighed dreamily.

Hermione laughed. "Well, for the next two days it's your house, too."

"Where am I sleeping?" The redhead asked as she looked around, eventually checking out the floor.

"Silly," Hermione chuckled. "We're sharing the bed."

Ginny's forehead creased in a frown. "Oh. Your parent's don't care?"

They had shared Hermione's bed a handful of times while at school; nothing too provocative happened during those nights, it was just nice to have that quiet time together every now and then. Thus, sharing a bed wasn't the issue, it was more a matter of parental restrictions.

"Nope," Hermione replied brightly with a shrug of her shoulders. "I get you all to myself tonight."

The redhead gave Hermione a devilish look. "Careful with those words, Mione."

* * *

Later that evening, the four of them sat around the fireplace in the living room, engaged in idle conversation.

"Well, Crookshanks certainly likes you," Hermione's dad chuckled as Ginny rolled a small ball across the floor between her hands, the ball's tiny bell ringing and Crookshanks hopping across the floor pawing at it.

Hermione dropped down next to the two and reached over to pet Crookshanks behind his ear. "You've always liked Ginny, haven't you little Crookshanks?" She cooed.

She nearly missed the look her parents exchanged. Suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable, she rose from her spot on the floor while clearing her throat.

"Well, it's late. Ginny and I are going to go to the park in the morning after breakfast, so we want to get an early start," she told them.

"Not a problem. Thanks for staying out here and chatting with us," her mother said. "Have a good night, girls."

"Yes, good night," her dad added.

The girls were heading up the stairs when Hermione's mom called her back for a second. She looked to Ginny momentarily before telling her to go on and promising to catch up. Hermione trotted back to her parents and asked what was going on.

"Nothing, just wanted to let you know that we're heading into work early tomorrow to partially make up for today, so you very likely won't see us until late afternoon," her dad explained.

"Okay," she nodded. "I hope work isn't too busy - not too many big procedures."

They laughed. "Thanks."

Hermione was surprised when they simultaneously pulled her into a hug. The Grangers were loving parents, but they had never been a touchy-feely kind of family. Needless to say, the sudden display of affection caught Hermione off guard.

"Wha-" Hermione began.

"Ginny's a lovely girl," her mother cut in, pulling back and giving her a warm, kind smile.

Hermione began to stumble through another question when her dad stepped in this time.

"Whatever happened last year, I'm glad it all worked out. We can see she makes you very happy, and vice-versa."

Hermione's mouth dropped open slightly and she stared at her parents perplexed.

Her mother's gentle smile steadily transformed into a smirk and she spoke. "What we're saying, dear, is that we like your girlfriend."

* * *

_**Ginny POV**_

After a short flight to Paris with the Grangers - well, at least **they** said it was a short flight, Ginny couldn't believe how long it took to go that distance when a portkey could've gotten them there in seconds - they traveled to a few different neighbourhoods and checked out a flat in each. Ginny felt kind of useless on this excursion; she didn't know about rent rates or other things that Hermione had to consider, so she just kind of hung back and followed along.

They had ended up in this quiet, yet trendy neighbourhood with coffee shops and even a little bookstore down at the end of the block and Ginny didn't need to look over at Hermione to know that this was the place she'd end up. The flat was gorgeous. It had hardwood floors, a nice fireplace, cozy bedroom, a kitchen with marble countertops, and a living room with plenty of natural light. It was the perfect size for Hermione, it wasn't exactly spacious, but it would give her enough room for a desk and such for work without becoming cramped. To top it off, the landlord was a witch herself.

Hermione took possession of the flat at the beginning of the following month, giving her a couple of weeks to prepare for the move. Thanks to magic, the process of moving was a cinch. As Ginny and Hermione went around her London bedroom waving their wands to stow away the brunette's things, she had informed Ginny that this way was significantly less painful than the muggle way of moving. Ginny nodded in understanding, all the while thanking Merlin that she was a witch.

Since Hermione's parents weren't coming this time to Paris, they were able to use a portkey, and once more, Ginny was grateful to have magic on her side.

"That was so much better," Ginny commented as she walked from the portkey arrival site to the floo network a short ways away. "No wretched uniformed people touching me all over to see if I'm hiding anything. Honestly, what would I be hiding?" She ranted.

Hermione gave her a weary look. "They have to be sure that no one is carrying anything dangerous. It's a pain for everyone to go through the clearance process, but it's for safety purposes."

Ginny turned her nose up at the notion, a resemblance between herself and Percy flashing through her mind for a frightful second. "I'd rather use a portkey...but, going by airplane was slightly more relaxing...after security at least."

Hermione shot her another look as they came to a stop in front of a row of fireplaces.

"Okay, so my floo is set up as 'Granger residence', alright?" She instructed as she stepped in.

"Got it. See you there," Ginny nodded. A flash of green later, Hermione was gone and Ginny followed suit.

After a cascade of fireplaces flew past Ginny's peripheral vision, she came to a stop in the empty flat that now belonged to her girlfriend. Ginny stepped out to see that Hermione was already walking around the room and flourishing her wand, various pieces of furniture and other possessions popping into place.

"Where do you want the dining table?" Ginny asked as she wandered over to an empty area near the kitchen.

Hermione looked over and pushed a lock of stray hair out of her face. "Over there in the middle," Hermione pointed. "Can you put it length-wise, about four feet from the wall?"

"Sure," Ginny replied with a nod. She examined the area Hermione just gestured to and gave a flick of her wand. The table appeared along with a set of chairs.

"When is Crookshanks supposed to get here?" Ginny asked.

"Mom and Dad are sending him over tomorrow. I'm supposed to go to the airport to retrieve him. Poor Crookshanks...I really hope he'll be okay. I didn't think it'd be wise to bring him over by portkey, so the muggle way will just have to do," the brunette said regretfully.

"I'm sure he'll be okay. I feel worse for the airport employees who have to handle him," Ginny joked. She gave a few more swishes of her wand to readjust the seats.

"Done," Ginny announced, only to notice that Hermione was no longer in the living room. Turning around absently, Ginny realized that Hermione must be in the bedroom and headed down the hall. Sure enough, the brunette was there and had already set up her bed, dresser, night side table, and was currently magicking her clothes into the closet.

"You work fast," Ginny mumbled as she took in the arrangement of the newly furnished room.

"Not really, I just know how I wanted it to be set up, so it was just a matter of putting things in their place," Hermione said easily as she gave one more swish of her wand and joined Ginny in the doorway, kissing her briefly on the lips, hands grazing the redhead's hip before walking back to the kitchen.

A shiver ran through Ginny's body as she trailed behind the brunette - a bit too distracted now to care that she was being less than useful.

"Ginny, can you please put the dishes in the cupboard?" Hermione called.

"Sure," Ginny said as she came up beside the curly-haired witch. Hermione had insisted on taking most of the possessions herself, but Ginny had still been determined to help move a few things at least.

"Thanks," Hermione smiled. Soon, the older witch was rattling off detailed directions on where everything needed to go, what way, what order, and other things that Ginny herself wouldn't have been quite so concerned about - regardless, she complied.

"Yes, Love," Ginny chuckled as she went along and deposited the various items where indicated.

Ginny repressed another laugh as Hermione gave her a slow, simmering stare; apparently not liking the redhead's tone.

"Where would you like your pictures?" Ginny asked lightly as she looked around, still readily ignoring Hermione's gaze. A moment passed and Ginny walked into the living room, a small smirk playing across her face as she could feel Hermione's eyes following her.

"Above the mantle, please," Hermione said.

"Sure thing," Ginny responded as she pointed her wand and made a large sweeping motion with her arm. As she did so, a number of framed photographs appeared on the wall above the fireplace - high enough so that the flames wouldn't catch them. Despite the flames being heatless, it was still a concern.

Hermione was silent and Ginny looked over to see the brunette staring at the wall, her lips pursed. Ginny was about to ask her what was wrong when Hermione brought her wand up and pointed it at the wall, moving her hand just a fraction. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught Ginny's attention and she saw one of the photos rotate a tad. She bit back a laugh and rolled her eyes.

"What?" Hermione snapped as she frowned at Ginny, the brunette's wand still pointed at the wall.

"Nothing, Love," Ginny laughed.

Hermione eyed Ginny further before protesting, "It was crooked."

The redhead turned to face her girlfriend completely with a sly grin. "I love you, you know." She took a step towards Hermione.

"Well, it was," Hermione protested once more with greater conviction.

Ginny held the brunette's gaze and reached out, putting her hand on top of Hermione's still outreached arm, and gently pushed it down towards the girl's side. Leaning in, Ginny captured Hermione's lips. Entangling their fingers together, Ginny removed Hermione's wand from her hand and tucked it into her own back pocket for now, making sure to not break the kiss. Hands now unoccupied, Hermione wrapped her arms around the back of Ginny's neck while the redhead pulled Hermione closer to her. Their kisses slowly became more fervent, and the urgency in them began to become apparent. Ginny practically groaned as she felt Hermione move her hips against her own, whether subconsciously or not. Ginny soon found herself pulling Hermione towards her, closer still and began running her hands along the brunette's lower back - desperately wanting to let her hands roam further down the back of Hermione's jeans.

Just then, Hermione pulled out of their kiss. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing a bit uneven and her eyes heavy-lidded. She half sighed, half laughed and pulled back a hand to place it on the front of Ginny's shoulder. Her gaze fell to the ground briefly before coming up to meet Ginny's once more. The brunette gave her a faint smile and leaned forward to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Ginny did her best to not groan in frustration. She had wanted to take things with Hermione to the next level for months now, well, honestly, from the start practically. However, Hermione was a bit more reluctant and wanted to wait, for what, Ginny wasn't exactly sure yet. She shouldn't have been surprised that the brunette would take her time with this, and the younger girl respected her for it, but it didn't prevent her from feeling very frustrated at times. It always ended this way - they'd have a very charged moment and then Hermione would pull away and give her a chaste kiss. She knew it was both an apology for making her wait and a promise that things would someday change.

Ginny chuckled inwardly at the irony of it all. She was well aware that there were a number of girls at Hogwarts who would gladly let themselves be pulled into the Room of Requirement by the young Weasley, yet Ginny didn't want any of them. Ginny wasn't unhappy with her relationship with Hermione, far from it, it just...could be slightly better at times. However, this was part of who Hermione was, and the redhead did love her for it - even if it left her a bit unsatisfied at times. Her mind sighed. Patience truly was a virtue.

"Thanks...for your help with all of this," Hermione said softly as she gestured around the room.

Ginny gave a small chuckle. "You're welcome."

Hermione gave Ginny an apologetic look that bordered on regretful before she leaned in once more to give the redhead a peck on the lips.

"I love you," the brunette said quietly, but with such earnest that Ginny just had to melt at least a bit. She gave the older girl a smirk.

"I know."

Not giving Hermione a chance to say or do anything, Ginny quickly picked up the smaller girl in a large hug - actually lifting her off the ground and spinning her around once before setting her down. Ginny laughed heartily at the screech Hermione let out as she was spun around.

"Happy house warming, Hermione," Ginny smiled broadly as she side stepped the half-hearted swat that Hermione was trying to hit her with.

"Gin," Hermione laughed as she tried again to land a playful hit - a truly sad attempt at scolding the redhead. "My neighbours are going to think I'm crazy."

"Hey, you're the one who screamed, not me," Ginny replied cheekily.

"Ginny," Hermione said more forcefully as she gave a scandalized look.

"Terribly sorry, Miss Prefect," Ginny teased.

"That's Head Girl to you," the brunette retorted, now with a straight face and a righteous finger pointed at the redhead.

Ginny grinned wickedly and abruptly stopped trying to evade the brunette, only to close the space between them. She reached out and tugged Hermione forward by the front of her shirt and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Come here." She planted a hard, passionate kiss on Hermione's unsuspecting lips. She felt the brunette relax into her arms, and just as quickly as the kiss started, Ginny ended it, though staying dangerously close to the brunette.

Ginny gazed into Hermione's eyes which now looked hazy, and she reached into her back pocket where she had stored Hermione's wand and pulled it out. Not breaking their gaze or making any erratic movements, Ginny wordlessly and faintly trailed the tip of the wand down Hermione's spine before slowly sliding it into the brunette's back pocket. Ginny smirked at how the older girl's eyes closed and her muscles tensed.

"Your wand," Ginny whispered before releasing Hermione from the embrace.

The redhead struggled to keep a straight face as Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she steadied herself.

Yes, patience was a virtue - but there was no reason she couldn't tempt the brunette every now and then.

"So," Ginny said lightly as she walked towards the kitchen. "What's for lunch?"

**AN**: Don't worry...drama will eventually rear its ugly head - someday, somehow. For now, let's just let the girls enjoy their happy time :p Jk. I hope everyone has had a good weekend.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny sat with Hermione, Ron, and Harry in Hermione's living room, the new flat still as neat and organized as any of them would have expected. Ginny had been staying with Hermione since she moved in a couple of weeks ago. It had been exhilarating spending so much time with Hermione one-on-one, nobody to bother or interrupt them as they explored Paris together. Things had been amazing, but all the while Ginny was doing her best to not think about how she wouldn't see her girlfriend again until Christmas.

They couldn't be alone forever though; a week ago Harry and Ron came to visit and tonight was their last night before heading back to England to prepare for Auror training. When Ron had arrived, he had brought along some interesting and, to Ginny, slightly disturbing news with him. Apparently, there had been some updates on the team that the British Ministry was sending over.

"Updates?" Hermione asked with a frown, and Ginny could have sworn that Crookshanks was giving Ron the same doubtful look. "No offense, Ron, but how would you know?"

Ron did take offense, judging from the look on his face and the tone in his voice. "Percy, if you must know."

Ginny scoffed. "Great."

Ron's upset quickly faded and he gave a laugh at Ginny's reaction. "Yeah, good luck with that git," he said as he eyed Hermione.

"He better not cause trouble," Ginny replied in a low voice as she thought back to how he had tried to unnerve Hermione back at the Burrow during Christmas holidays.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Hermione said. Ginny couldn't imagine that Hermione was entirely genuine in her statement, but figured she was probably just trying to keep her head up. "Besides, it'll be nice to have someone I know here."

"Watch out, he may act like he doesn't know you," Harry mocked, surely referring back to his trial years before in front of the Wizengamot when Percy hadn't even acknowledged him.

Hermione shot him a look. "Percy is very capable. He will be a great asset to the team," she said decisively.

"Well, there's more," Ron went on. "Apparently, that Ms. Blake is going to have a bigger role in your project than originally intended." Ron's eyes went a bit buggy and Ginny gave him a questioning look. "She's a nightmare," he announced with a grimace. "She interviewed us, too, and I don't think anyone's seemed that unimpressed with me since Snape."

Hermione looked uneasy. "I didn't like her much initially, either. But perhaps she's not **that** bad. She just wants to get things done and done right. She's come into a terrible situation, what with Pius Thicknesse being sent to Azkaban and all," Hermione asserted, though she didn't look very convinced herself. "Why is she taking on a greater role anyway, she seemed outrageously uninterested during my interview."

Ron shrugged. "Percy said it has partially to do with how much the Minister is pushing this England/France relations thing, you know. And your department reports to her in the end, and it'll be her 'yes' or 'no' at the end that greatly decides if they do the same project back home."

Hermione gave a derisive laugh. "Good luck to us, then." Her previous good-will seemingly pushed aside. "She probably has a house-elf at home, doing her bidding..."

"Actually," Ron said in wonder, "apparently she **used** to have one, but she freed him a while back."

Hermione looked absolutely shocked, her mouth actually agape. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Ron glared. "Percy said so."

Hermione looked contemplative, her eyebrows pulled together in a frown. "Perhaps I shouldn't have judged her so quickly," she said before turning to Ginny. "Maybe you were right, you know, about the good guy/bad guy approach in the interview."

Ginny gave her girlfriend a mock look of grateful surprise. "Really?"

"Gin," Hermione chided. "Okay, well...maybe this is good news."

"I still think she's a nightmare. Glad it's you working with her and not me," Ron said. "Anyway, it's Harry and I's last night here, I say we go to the pub," Ron suggested as he walked towards the window to look out into the darkening streets.

"Sure," they all agreed excitedly.

* * *

Soon enough they found themselves at the wizard pub a few blocks over. Ron and Harry hit the Firewhiskey and Ginny would have too if her mind didn't immediately flashback to Hermione busting her last year with Firewhiskey at Hogwarts, coupled with the brunette's discontent over Ginny's exposure to the beverage at New Years. She'd stick to butterbeer this evening. However, that didn't stop her, Harry and Ron from urging the former Head Girl to have a glass of the fierce liquor. She had vehemently refused the first five or six requests, and Ginny thought they wouldn't win, that is until she pulled out the dewy eyes and Hermione begrudgingly agreed.

Many sour faces and a coughing fit later, Hermione had finished her drink. Shortly thereafter, one glass turned into two and the brunette seemed to finish the second drink with far less difficulty. She was now awfully giggly, her face was flushed and she held Ginny's hand between both of her own.

"I'm so glad you both came here to see me," Hermione said earnestly to Ron and Harry who sat across from them.

"Oh geez, don't get all teary eyed on me now," Ron ribbed as he eyed her with an unimpressed look that Ginny knew was covering up his affection for the girl.

"I'm not," Hermione insisted though her voice wavered. "I just...this is the end of a chapter," she paused, struggling to remain composed, and inadvertently giving Ron a chance to chime in.

"Always with your books!"

She flashed him a furious look. "Stop that! I'm being serious here," she took a breath as Ginny gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Anyway, the end of one thing...but the start of new, wonderful things. I just want you to know that you guys have been the greatest friends ever and I'm going to miss you so much, despite how much trouble you cause that I always have to bail you out of," she grinned at them, her eyes damp, "and I will always be here for you - no matter what."

Harry smiled at her and reciprocated her sentiments. Even Ron looked slightly moved. Ginny had to smile as she saw her girlfriend attempt to hold herself together throughout Harry's speech, but still ended up sniffling despite those efforts.

"Blimey," Ron muttered with wide eyes. "There's too much emotion going on right now," he chuckled as he drank more Firewhiskey. "I don't know what life's going to be like without you crying every time I turn around." Hermione gave him a tired look and he grew serious, though a smirk still graced his face. "I wouldn't have made it into the Auror program without you. I know I complained a lot, but...well, thank you."

Hermione inhaled in a shuddering breath and abruptly shot up and out of her chair to lean across the table, nearly knocking over a couple of glasses, and flung her arms around Ron. Ginny and Harry erupted into laughter at the whole exchange and how frightened Ron looked.

"See, Gin," Ron mumbled, Hermione still smothering him. "No hands." He waggled his fingers to showcase this, his arms out and far away from Hermione.

Ginny snorted. "It's fine," she said and gave him an amused smile. He slowly brought his arms in and gave a couple of tentative pats on Hermione's back. Shortly after, she pulled back and sat down in what Ginny had to note was a bit of a clumsy manner.

"I love you guys," she said, her voice still unsteady. "Promise you'll write?"

"Yes, Hermione," both boys agreed patiently, laughing at her behaviour.

"It's kind of hot in here," the brunette announced absently as she fanned herself with her hand and looked around.

Ginny, her brother and Harry all looked to one another wide-eyed before the youngest Weasley rose from her chair and held out her hand to Hermione.

"Come on," she said lightly as she gestured with her head towards the door.

"What," Hermione snapped as she flashed an offended look towards the redhead. "I can't express my emotions to my friends?"

"You can," Ginny responded lightly with a nod, "but you're swaying in your chair, and your face is beet red, so perhaps some air would do you good."

"Oh," Hermione replied with a blush that made her already red cheeks grow darker. "I do feel a bit lightheaded..."

"All right then," Ginny laughed as she held her hand out a bit further to Hermione in emphasis. "Come on."

The youngest Weasley put in a valiant effort to not laugh unabashedly at how she had to practically hold up Hermione on the walk out of the pub and into the street. She eventually steered them to some empty steps of a shop and sat them down, the brunette readily resting her head on Ginny's shoulder the moment they were seated.

Ginny turned her head slightly to eye the brunette and again tried not to snicker. Wouldn't this be a sight for all of Hogwarts to see?

"Ginny," Hermione said lazily, her head rolling a bit on the redhead's shoulder in the process, "can't you go to Beauxbatons? Hogwarts is so far away."

"Why? You actually **want** me to hang out with all those seductive girls?" Ginny chuckled.

"Well if you think you'll be so easily tempted-" Hermione replied sharply, cutting herself off as she sat up straight and gave Ginny what was probably meant to be a harsh stare. Unfortunately, the look was such that it did nothing but make Ginny grin at her girlfriend. Apparently the brunette didn't appreciate the gesture because she quickly shifted her position on the step so that her back was to Ginny.

"Oh come on," Ginny said while doing her best to keep the smile out of her voice, "you know that's not true."

"Still. Don't joke about things like that, Ginny, you know it bothers me," Hermione stated in a quiet voice.

Ginny bit back a sigh and instead apologized. "I'm sorry. I'm just letting you know that you have nothing to worry about, okay? And if anyone should be concerned it's me. I have to somehow keep you interested in me when you're going to be surrounded by a bunch of impressive Ministry women every day."

Hermione turned back around to face the redhead and studied her for a few seconds before speaking. "Well, I'm telling **you** that you have nothing to worry about."

Ginny smiled at her girlfriend and reached out to brush some hair out of Hermione's face.

"How are you feeling? Better?" She asked and smirked as the brunette blinked tiredly in thought.

"I'm okay," Hermione eventually answered.

"Right," Ginny laughed as she stood up, smiling affectionately at how Hermione's gaze turned hurt and confused in the process. The younger girl offered her hand yet again to the brunette and rolled her eyes when Hermione's upset dissipated instantly. "Let's go inside, settle the tab, get the boys, and then let's get you home, Love."

* * *

Harry and Ron had gone home about week ago, and Ginny was leaving tomorrow. She still had some time until she had to leave for Hogwarts, but her parents wanted her to come home a bit early since they hadn't seen her much this summer and wouldn't see her again until Christmas. She knew they were being quite reasonable and had been generous in allowing her to stay with Hermione here in Paris for as long as she had, but she still didn't want to leave.

"Sure you want to do this?" Ginny asked as she eyed Hermione a little warily.

Hermione gave a decisive nod. "Yes. Now or never," she said.

"Okay," Ginny replied with a gentle smile. "I promise I won't do anything stupid this time." Hermione flashed her a quick smile that was swiftly replaced by an uneasy look.

"Okay, you first," Ginny instructed as she held out the broom they had rented from a quidditch shop in town.

Earlier this afternoon, Hermione had surprised Ginny by suggesting that they go to a nearby field and fly for a while. Ginny was sceptical of the suggestion at first, wondering if Hermione had knocked her head in the middle of the night or not. Hermione had reasoned that this whole time they'd been doing things she'd wanted to do, like going to museums, galleries, cafés, or staying in. She said that she knew Ginny was just dying to get out on the pitch again and that if she were at the Burrow she could've been practicing for the upcoming quidditch season, but so far she hadn't had that opportunity. While Ginny enjoyed doing all of the listed activities with Hermione, she had to admit that she did miss flying.

Hermione exhaled softly as she put away her wand after performing a Disillusionment Charm on them - just in case. She climbed onto the broom, the first time since they last attempted this in the Astronomy Tower nearly a year ago.

Following Hermione, Ginny climbed on behind her, this time feeling no hesitation as she wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist to grip the broom handle. She kissed Hermione's shoulder, just as she had wanted to the first time they did this.

"Ready?" Ginny asked.

Hermione briefly readjusted her grip on the broom and gave another nod. "Yes."

"Why don't you kick off for us?" Ginny suggested.

"Oh, I don't really remember how...," Hermione responded.

Ginny leaned forward enough to be able to catch Hermione's eye and give her a look of suspicion.

"Can't you do it, please?" Hermione asked rather sharply.

Ginny pulled back with an amused smile on her face. "Just this time," she answered and sent them up into the air.

Though Ginny could clearly see that Hermione was far from comfortable, she did seem considerably less anxious than the time they went flying at Hogwarts.

"It's up to you now," Ginny instructed quietly as she slowly pulled her hands off of the handle to wrap around Hermione's waist, not wanting to move too fast for fear of alarming the older girl.

"Are you holding on?" Hermione asked unsteadily.

"Yes," Ginny replied, stifling a laugh.

A few heavy moments passed before the broom lifted a bit higher in the air and Ginny beamed with endearment. "You're doing great," she said.

Once they had reached the height that Hermione had determined was sufficient, which to Ginny wasn't overly high, they began to slowly move forward.

Ginny kept quiet as Hermione moved them along. After a period of very tame flying, Hermione started to fly with a bit more confidence. She moved them along a bit faster, still slow overall, but faster and with the speed slightly increasing.

Approaching a corner, Hermione slowed down and the decrease in speed was so significant that both girls lurched forward on the broom. The brunette let out a gasp and they went from slow to stopped altogether. It was so abrupt that Ginny had to put one hand on the broom to brace herself so as not to push Hermione off balance and potentially off of the broom with her own momentum.

"I'm sorry," Hermione breathed in worry. "Are you okay?" She turned her head to try to see Ginny.

"Yeah, I'm good. Are you okay?" Ginny asked with a light laugh, trying to urge Hermione not to berate herself over this.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slow down so much," Hermione said in an embarrassed and remorseful voice.

"It's okay, honestly. No harm done," Ginny insisted. She leaned forward to kiss Hermione's turned cheek. "Let's try again."

"Um, you take over this time," Hermione said. Ginny was about to argue when she caught Hermione's pleading look.

"Okay, okay," Ginny conceded. "Hold on tight," she grinned.

Once she was sure that Hermione was holding on securely, laughing softly at how Hermione tried to push herself even closer than she already was, Ginny brought them up significantly higher in the air.

"Tell me if this is too much," Ginny said. She received a curt shake of the brunette's head in response. "All right then, here we go."

They shot forward, Ginny putting in a conscious effort to prevent herself from rocketing forward as abruptly as she normally would. Hermione squealed, but soon started laughing as Ginny started flying them in figure eight's and flew them closer to the heart of the city to look at the beautiful landscape beneath them.

"A little less dreary than London, hm?" Ginny commented, speaking loud enough to be heard over the wind rushing through their ears.

"It's so beautiful," Hermione said. Ginny could hear the smile in her voice.

The younger girl continued to fly them over the city, allowing Hermione to dictate where they should fly next. After a while, Ginny flew them back over to the field they started in and she casually circled high above it.

"Should we head back then?" She asked.

"Sure," Hermione replied, still sounding giddy.

"You're still holding on tight, right?" Ginny warned.

"Yes...what are you-"

Hermione's question was cut off as Ginny put them into a dive, ensuring that Hermione was pressed securely against her, and the consequent weightlessness of their dive did its part to reinforce this. The dive wasn't anywhere near as steep as the ones Ginny was used to, but she was sure it was more than intense for Hermione.

Nearing the ground, Ginny evened the broom out and gently landed. Hermione got off of the broom and turned sharply to glare at the redhead. Ginny didn't drop Hermione's gaze as she got off of the broom and awaited the older girl's reaction.

"Ginny!" Hermione yelled. She opened her mouth to speak again, her finger pointed at the younger girl, but she cut herself off, turning away before turning back. She opened her mouth again once more, but no words came out. Ginny stood, growing more uncertain and was likely giving Hermione a very puzzled look.

Suddenly, Hermione's extremely stern expression disappeared as the girl broke down into a fit of laughter.

"Ginny," she said more calmly between laughs. She tried to muster up a serious face, but couldn't and Ginny started to join in on the laughter, though she did vaguely think that Hermione had lost her mind. The brunette stepped forward and gave Ginny a small punch on the arm, making a face at her.

"Ow," Ginny laughed as she set the broom down and rubbed her arm. "Geez, use your words not your fists."

"That's what you get for doing that to me," Hermione retorted as she gestured into the air.

"Okay, fine, fine, I deserved that," Ginny resigned as she rubbed her arm more for effect now than anything.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said softly with an indulgent smile as she came forward and tenderly touched Ginny's arm before kissing her on the cheek.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Ginny remarked as she went to tickle Hermione's sides.

Hermione shrieked and tried to run away, but Ginny swiftly wrapped her arms around the laughing brunette. They playfully struggled for a while until Hermione spun around in Ginny's arms to face the redhead. She was still smiling, but suddenly turned serious. Ginny was about to question her when the brunette wrapped her arms around the back of Ginny's neck and kissed her deeply. The redhead was caught off guard, but in the most pleasant kind of way. She eagerly returned Hermione's kiss and pulled the smaller girl closer to her.

A short while later, Hermione pulled back, both of them breathing a bit heavily, their faces flush. "Want to go?" She asked.

As much as Ginny was enjoying their exchange, she agreed. She walked over to where she had dropped the broom and picked it up. She returned to Hermione who was holding her hand out. As they laced their fingers together, Ginny was pulled through what always felt to her like a slipstream, and they appeared in Hermione's living room.

Ginny was about to suggest that they go return the broom when Hermione reached over and plucked the broom out of her hands and briskly walked with it to the front entryway and set it against the wall. The redhead watched Hermione as she walked back at the same pace, the expression on her face one that Ginny hadn't quite seen before. She was going to say something when, again, she was cut off.

Hermione had continued at her brisk pace and only slowed down just as she reached Ginny, and even then, only barely. Ginny had to take a step back to steady herself as Hermione's lips crashed against her own as she felt the brunette's arms come around her waist to steady her, and pull her closer as well.

Regaining her senses, however remotely so, Ginny returned Hermione's kiss and reciprocated the embrace, pulling them upright. Soon Hermione separated her lips from Ginny's and Ginny leaned forward into nothing. She opened her eyes in surprise and disappointment and just caught a glimpse of Hermione tilting her head down to kiss her neck before she closed her eyes again, biting back a moan. Ginny was lost in the moment and just when she thought it couldn't get better, she felt Hermione sneak a hand up underneath her shirt to let her hand graze along the sensitive skin of Ginny's lower back. Ginny couldn't do much more than tighten her grip on the brunette. If she hadn't been so horribly distracted by the wonderful things Hermione was doing, she might have laughed in disbelief at how forward the girl was being.

Hermione pulled back momentarily - Ginny missing her instantly - but swiftly tilted her head in the other direction and began to pay as diligent attention to the other side of Ginny's neck as the first. Emboldened by Hermione's actions, Ginny moved her hands down the brunette's back to her waist and began to lift the bottom of her shirt to touch her skin in much the same way Hermione was doing to her.

A few moments after Ginny began caressing Hermione's back beneath her shirt, Hermione's hand gripped Ginny's shirt and began to tug upward at it.

"Do you mind?" Hermione breathed between planting kisses up and along Ginny's increasingly sensitive neck.

Ginny let out a shuddering breath, feeling she should be embarrassed over her lack of coherence, but couldn't be bothered. "Not at all."

In a swift movement, Hermione had lifted Ginny's shirt off of her body, leaving her remarkably exposed. Ginny felt cold and self-conscious for a moment, but those feelings were quickly driven away as Hermione dove back in to kiss the newly exposed skin.

"You are so beautiful," Hermione said, her voice thick with desire as she continued to kiss Ginny's skin.

Admittedly, Ginny was beginning to feel a bit weak in the knees, vaguely aware of how cliche it all was. Hermione must have noticed because she held onto Ginny tighter.

A short while later, Hermione began to toy with Ginny's jeans. Ginny just bit her lip in anticipation.

The brunette whispered, "Want to go to the bedroom?"

* * *

Hours later, Ginny lay awake in Hermione's bed, staring at the ceiling in quiet content, happily reflecting upon the recent events of this evening. It was true...Hermione Granger really was good at everything, said activities included.

Alarm rapidly unfolded in Ginny as she heard Hermione sniffle.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked quickly, looking down at Hermione, whose head was currently resting on the redhead's shoulder, their bodies still entwined. Hermione hugged Ginny closer to her in response. "Oh no, are you okay?" Ginny asked, now in full blown panic, as she tried to sit up to examine the brunette. "Talk to me."

Hermione laughed, drawing an unimpressed look of annoyance from Ginny. The older girl reached up, revealing her teary eyes, and pulled Ginny back down to lay on the bed. Ginny reluctantly settled in, wrapping her arms around the brunette once more.

"Nothing's wrong," Hermione finally answered, her chuckle moving through Ginny as well. "I'm just happy."

"For Merlin's sake," Ginny grumbled before laughing good-naturedly. "You scared the magic right out of me. Don't make me panic like that."

Hermione giggled and kissed Ginny's shoulder. "It's not my fault if you're so easily flustered."

Ginny scoffed. "Yeah, I'm always on edge," she retorted dryly, though she gave the brunette an affectionate squeeze.

Hermione laughed and a moment later Ginny felt something wet on her shoulder.

"What-" Ginny looked down to see Hermione burying her head in her shoulder, eyes squinted shut and a tear sneaking out. "Merlin, what now!" Ginny asked in exasperation, caught somewhere between a laugh and concern.

Although she expected Hermione to be angry, justifiably so, she was surprised when Hermione laughed and hugged her closer.

"Silly girl, I'm going to miss you so much."

Ginny leaned her head down to kiss the top of Hermione's head. She pulled back, letting her head fall rather heavily upon the pillow and she exhaled audibly. She felt Hermione tilt her head up to look at her.

"It hurts already," Ginny said. "It feels like we just got together and now we're being separated. Don't get me wrong, I fully support you, I'm just going to miss you like crazy."

"I know exactly how you feel," Hermione responded. She sat up pulling some of the sheets with her and turned to face Ginny. "I already know for a fact that I can't really be away from you until Christmas. So," she trailed off as she shuffled over in bed and reached into the drawer of her bedside table.

A moment later she returned with something clutched in her hand, small enough for her to ball her hand into a fist to hide the contents. She stared down at her hand momentarily before lifting her gaze to meet Ginny's curious eyes. With slight hesitation she held her hand out, still closed.

"I got us these."

Slowly, Hermione opened her hand and in her palm lay two gold rings, each on a fine gold chain. Ginny's mouth dropped open and she was rendered completely speechless. She looked up to Hermione to see that the brunette's face was turning a pale pink, a bashful smile on her face.

"They're more than just rings," she stated. "And I got us the chains so we can wear them as necklaces instead. Might be a little less...obvious, that way. Here," Hermione said and held out one of the rings to Ginny. "Put the necklace on."

Ginny did as she was told, anticipation coursing through her body as she waited to see what Hermione had put together.

Hermione quickly got out of bed and retrieved her wand and returned to bed, staying a ways from Ginny and pulling up the sheets a bit once more to cover herself up. She set the ring down in front of her on the bed and pointed her wand at the ring. "Communicae Protea."

Ginny frowned as she felt a gentle heat begin to radiate from her chest. She looked down to see the ring, it appeared normal, but when Ginny reached up to examine it, it was warm to the touch.

"You can feel it, right?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ginny said in mild wonder as she continued to inspect the ring.

"Okay, put it down on the bed and say the same incantation," her lover instructed.

Ginny did so, her eyes intently staring at the ring as she said the incantation. Suddenly, she was face to face with Hermione, the girl sitting exactly where the ring was a moment ago. What was even more odd was that Hermione was also sitting next to her still.

Ginny looked between the two Hermiones, and startled slightly when both suddenly laughed simultaneously.

"What the-"

"I got the idea from the two-way mirror that Sirius gave to Harry, and it's a bit of a variation on the Protean Charm as well," both Hermiones explained, the two voices coming at Ginny from different directions.

"Wow," Ginny breathed as she examined the two women before her. She reached out to touch the second Hermione and abruptly pulled her hand back when the moment she made contact, that part of Hermione disappeared in a smokey billow.

"It's just an image of me," Hermione explained. "Like a projection, really. I can't touch you either." To demonstrate, the brunette reached out, and the while the real Hermione's hand touched Ginny's shoulder, the projection's hand dissipated upon contact.

Ginny nodded as she examined the replica once more. The part that had dissipated moments before was now back in full clarity. Ginny looked up and realized that the background behind the image was the same as the background behind Hermione. She realized that it was projecting a real-time snapshot of Hermione and a portion of her surroundings.

"That's amazing," Ginny smiled. "What happens if you move around? Do you have to stay in one spot, or can the ring track where you are?"

"The ring tracks where we are. I mean, if I walk across the room, my image won't walk right across the room. The ring seems to have a range of a few feet before it starts to track."

"Brilliant," Ginny breathed. "Absolutely brilliant."

Hermione tapped the ring with her wand. Suddenly the second Hermione disappeared and all that remained was the ring.

"Do you like it?" Hermione asked, her voice tentative and her expression matched. "And um, you don't have to read into the rings...it just...was convenient, that's all."

Ginny threw herself at the brunette, hugging her tightly. "It's amazing, everything about it!" Ginny exclaimed. "Thank you so much. This is incredible." She pulled back and examined the ring again, still completely in awe about it. "Thank you," she said again and she kissed Hermione, the brunette looking relieved.

"Now we can talk whenever we want," Hermione explained. "We won't have to wait for owls, and we'd have to get special authority to get our floo networks connected. Now we can have a way of speaking with each other that's ours and ours alone. "

"You're incredible," Ginny smiled. "By the way, you look incredible too," Ginny complimented with a sly grin. Hermione was currently mostly covered up by the sheets, but she still looked tempting.

"Gin," Hermione chided as she readjusted the sheets slightly.

"Well, thank you very much for this," Ginny replied as she held up the ring. "I'll wear it all the time," she promised. "I'm going to miss you so much. All I'll be able to think about is you," her voice becoming rather glum.

"Aw, Gin, I'm going to miss you too," Hermione said as she hugged Ginny, remaining close. "And I doubt you'll be that distracted with me gone."

"Thinking about you and bunches of veela floating around every corner...," Ginny complained.

"Is my Ginny jealous?" Hermione teased as she began to kiss along Ginny's shoulder.

"Yes," the redhead replied in a tone. "Though, that's distracting me a bit from it."

"Mm," Hermione said as she moved to lay Ginny down. "Well, I guess I'll just have to double my efforts to get you to forget completely."

Ginny inhaled sharply as Hermione nipped at her neck. She teased, "I thought only after I had proven myself faithful at Hogwarts this year was I going to get this...'reward'."

Hermione continued to kiss down Ginny's neck, the brunette's hand running up Ginny's thigh.

"Oh fuck it," Hermione panted, "I couldn't wait."

Ginny mouth, already slightly agape from the things Hermione was doing , opened wider in surprised, having never, ever heard that kind of language come from the older girl. "Hermione! That mouth!"

Hermione smirked. "Yes. Let's see what else 'that mouth' can do, shall we?"

**AN**: Well, that's about as graphic as it's going to get, but again, I do apologize if I've offended anyone. So, the girls are wrapping up summer, and very soon Hermione will be all by her lonesome. Oh, and I have nothing against London, I'm sure it's not 'dreary' lol. Thank you to everyone for being patient with this story. As always, your patience and support is greatly appreciated :)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_**Hermione POV**_

When Hermione woke up the following morning, her eyes were not immediately ready to open and instead she felt content to think over last night's events. She couldn't believe it. She didn't regret it at all, the timing felt perfect to her and she hoped Ginny felt the same. A smile crossed the brunette's face as she thought of her favorite redhead. She rolled over to check on Ginny, finally opening her eyes. Only, when she turned to look, there was no Ginny, just the sheets lying in a crumpled mess.

The brunette frowned and sat up slightly. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked around the room for any sign of her girlfriend.

"Gin?" She said. No response. She shook her head and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. She bent down and picked up last night's clothes off the floor and threw them on - they'd do for now.

She yawned and padded out into the short hallway.

"Gin?" She called again.

A few moments later Hermione entered the area that conjoined the kitchen, living room and dining room. She wrapped her arms around herself subconsciously as a shiver ran down her spine. She looked around, her frown intensifying as she took in the still surroundings - the beginnings of day starting to pour in through the blinds of the windows.

She walked a little further into the living room, though it would reveal nothing. Her flat was no where near big enough for someone to just be hanging around unnoticed.  
"Ginny? Are you around?"

Hermione went over to the fireplace to see if Ginny's shoes were on the mat next to it. The brunette's heart started to beat faster when she spotted only her own shoes on the mat, but she willed herself to calm down.

"_Be reasonable_," she thought to herself.

She glanced around the living room floor and noticed that the shirt that she had so ravenously removed from Ginny's lean frame the night before was not there anymore.

Calmly, Hermione went back into the bedroom. She reprimanded herself for being so silly as she went over to the closet to see if any of Ginny's stuff was there.

Hermione's heart stilled when she peered in to see that all of Ginny's things were gone. She hurriedly turned around and walked to the center of the bedroom, though not sure what to do. There had to a logical explanation. What time was it? Hermione rushed over to the bedside table to check her watch. She thought that Ginny's portkey didn't leave until around lunch, but maybe she was wrong, or maybe she had slept in, though the limited level of sunlight outside immediately urged her to reject that theory.

As she came up to the table, her eye caught sight of something else on the it. A knot formed in her stomach as she reached down to lift up the ring and necklace - the one that wasn't her own. There was a note with it. With shaky hands she lifted the note and began to read.

Second thoughts...distance...different lives...be friends again someday...

The words of the letter and their meaning came through in a haze as Hermione's vision was blurred by tears that ran unhindered down her face. She knew she was in no shape to be apparating anywhere, but she had to get to the portkey and go back to London. She had to get to the Burrow, she had to find Ginny.

Grabbing her wand, Hermione ran to her fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. She tried to steady her sobs so that she could say the destination clearly enough to not end up in some God forsaken, unknown location.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, this time with greater conviction.

She stepped out and grabbed another handful of floo powder. She yelled her destination, but remained staring at her flat. She changed tactics - she'd try the French Ministry. Still nothing.

Hermione began to sob again as she stepped out of the green flames.

"Ginny..."

* * *

Hermione sat up in a panic, breathing heavily and chills went through her body as the cold night air hit the sweat on her skin. She felt disoriented; it had just been morning a minute ago. She turned and released a shuddering sigh as she saw Ginny sleeping peacefully next to her.

"Oh God," she exhaled as she instinctively clutched at her chest. It was just a dream.

She rested her head in her hand as her breathing evened out before she heaved a final sigh; this one a mixture of weariness and relief. She gently lay down again, aligning herself as close to Ginny as she could without fully disturbing the sleeping girl. The brunette tentatively rested her head next to Ginny's shoulder and hoped that it wouldn't wake her from her sleep.

Hermione's breath caught as Ginny abruptly shifted and leaned into Hermione, wrapping an arm around her and mumbled something unintelligible. The younger girl's breathing almost instantaneously deepened, telling Hermione that she was asleep and probably hadn't even fully woken up a moment ago.

The brunette smiled and nestled into Ginny's sleep-induced embrace and felt her body relax before drifting off to sleep once more.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione walked into the bedroom, fully dressed, carrying two cups of hot coffee. She wasn't sure just yet whether Ginny would be up, but she'd have to get up somewhat soon to give lots of time to get all her things packed and ready to go for her trip back to England.

As Hermione entered, she saw Ginny stirring in her sleep before lazily stretching out flat on her stomach, part of one leg visible as it stuck out from under the sheets. The brunette smiled in endearment as she took in the sight of her lover. They were so different, yet complimentary to one another in just the right ways.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted, unable to keep the abundant happiness out of her voice.

Ginny rolled over in surprise, before smiling and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Morning," she replied, quickly followed by a yawn that made Hermione's heart swell with adoration.

"Coffee?" Hermione asked as she carefully walked over and held out one of the cups to Ginny, making sure not to spill.

"Thank you," Ginny smiled as she reached out.

"Careful," the brunette warned with a smirk. "Wouldn't want to spill that all over you in your current state."

"Hm?" Ginny mumbled, looking confused. She sat up and looked down at herself and her eyes widened in comprehension. "Oh, I see," she responded, now seemingly more awake. She blew on the beverage briefly before taking a tentative sip. "Why so concerned, 'Mione? Like what you see?" She grinned.

Hermione gave a short, lofty laugh. "Yes, in fact, I do like what I see. It'd be a shame to ruin it," she indulged the redhead as she sat down.

Ginny rolled her eyes with a smile. "And hey, this isn't fair. I don't get to see you naked."

"Not my fault you slept in," Hermione remarked as she took a sip of her drink.

"Not fair," Ginny insisted with a sidelong glance. "I'll have to do some research, but I'm sure there's gotta be a spell that I can use to remove your clothes."

"Ginny," Hermione scolded through a laugh. She would've said more, but the comment inadvertently got her mind hunting for a spell that could actually accomplish such a thing. She took another sip of her coffee in quiet contemplation.

"How'd you sleep?" Ginny asked, breaking Hermione's concentration.

"Hm? Oh, fine," Hermione replied as images of her bad dream flashed through her mind.

"Is something wrong?"

Hermione looked over at her worried lover and gave her a reassuring smile. "No, everything's more than fine." She paused. "I just had a bad dream last night, that's all."

"Oh," Ginny said, her expression still one of concern as she set her coffee down on the nightstand. "You should've woke me. What happened in your dream?"

Hermione laughed uncomfortably, contemplating what to say to the younger girl. "Well, it's just a dream. It doesn't mean anything."

"Still, tell me about it," Ginny encouraged.

Hermione's eyes flitted around the room before falling back upon Ginny who was still watching her intently. "Well, it had to do with you." Ginny nodded. "In my dream I woke up and it was this morning. I was still in my bed and everything, except you were gone." She looked to Ginny for a response, other than her forehead creasing, she kept quiet. Hermione went on. "I looked all over the flat for you, but all your things were gone, except you left me two things," she counted them out on her hand, "the ring and a note."

"Oh I don't like where this is going," Ginny grumbled as she leaned back against the headboard, pulling the covers up with her.

Hermione laughed, now able to with the knowledge that the whole situation had just been a dream.

"Anyway, I don't fully remember details, but essentially your note said that you couldn't accept the ring and that you didn't want to be in a long-distance relationship with me. You said that our lives were going different directions and coming here showed you that. You said that you were going to say something about it last night, but you decided that it was better to just sleep with me instead," Hermione smirked as she took advantage of her creative lease on the subject. She laughed out loud at how Ginny's mouth dropped open.

Before Ginny could interrupt, Hermione hurried to tell her the rest of the dream. "So I was crying and ran to the fireplace. I was going to floo to the portkey, but it wouldn't work. You know how in dreams sometimes you try to run and you can't, I guess it was like that. So yes, I was terribly upset and that was essentially it," Hermione finished lightly.

"Sweet Merlin, your subconscious thinks I'm a total prat," Ginny stated, sounding appalled.

"No," Hermione insisted. "I think it's just that it all seems too good to be true. Part of me must be afraid that something will fall apart," she hypothesized with a slight shake of her head before taking another sip of her drink. Of course this thought had crossed her mind prior, but she had been fairly successful in keeping it in check recently. And really, she had always been concerned on some level about Ginny getting bored with her and not being willing to cope with their different paths in life. Admittedly, that concern had diminished significantly over time, but with Ginny leaving now and the magnitude of their actions yesterday, well, Hermione guessed that it made sense for these fears to reappear.

Ginny sighed heavily, drawing Hermione's attention and the brunette couldn't help but feel guilty.

"I'm not leaving you," Ginny stated evenly. "I'm definitely taking the ring with me and will use it frequently, I'm sure," she continued. "Yes, our lives are changing and there's uncertainty in both our futures, but I do know that above all, I want to be with you."

Hermione smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, Gin. Me too."

The redhead let out a scoff before taking a moment to drain the remainder of her coffee and set the cup back down. "That dream sounds like the rubbish Percy was trying to feed me at New Years. And that's exactly what it is: rubbish."

Hermione couldn't help herself and laughed softly at the very serious look Ginny was giving at the moment. "Sorry," she apologized through another laugh. "You're so solemn right now. And I believe you, you know. So agreed, then? It's rubbish."

"Complete rubbish," Ginny smirked.

A comfortable silence filled the bedroom and Hermione took another small sip of her drink.

"Are you done your coffee?" Ginny asked.

Hermione looked into her cup and swished the contents around. "No, not quite. Wh-" The brunette's question was cut short as Ginny lunged forward and grabbed the cup out of her hands.

"Too bad," the redhead chimed as she set it down next to hers, pushing Hermione down on the bed simultaneously.

Hermione barely had time to react before Ginny's lithe and extremely naked body was on top of her, the redhead's lips crashing into hers in a kiss.

"Mm, coffee breath," Ginny teased.

"Mm, morning breath," Hermione retorted as she tickled Ginny's sides.

"Hey!" Ginny protested with a laugh before reaching into Hermione's jeans pocket and pulled out her wand. "Fine," Ginny said as she gave a flick of her wrist, still planting kisses on Hermione the entire time.

The brunette smiled when Ginny kissed her lips again.

"Minty fresh," Ginny proclaimed. "Now, let's get you out of these bothersome clothes."

* * *

Hermione and Ginny stood a good 20 feet from the bundled newspaper that lay on ground, other witches and wizards already gathered around the portkey and awaiting their departure back to London.

Ginny checked her watch. She sighed before stating in a remorseful voice, "Well, portkey leaves in a couple of minutes. I should probably head over."

Hermione nodded, blinking back tears that she'd previously kept at bay, and not entirely trusting her voice at the moment. She felt Ginny watching her closely, and avoided looking the redhead in the eye. Instead, she reached out and straightened Ginny's collar and smoothed out the shoulders of her shirt, letting her hands linger and ultimately rest there.

"I'll miss you," Ginny whispered as she went to close the space between them.

Hermione immediately choked back a sob and pulled Ginny in tightly, the girl nearly losing her balance at being moved so abruptly. The brunette buried her face in Ginny's neck, which served to somewhat muffle her sniffles. As Ginny's arms closed around Hermione, the older girl held onto Ginny with a level of desperation, not wanting to let her go.

"Gin," was all she could manage to say, and even then, it came out a mere whimper.

Soon, Hermione felt Ginny laying a series of soft kisses along the side of her face and the redhead spoke, "I'll message you with the ring as soon as I get home. And I'll send an owl, too, for good measure." She laughed quietly.

Hermione forced herself to pull back out of their embrace slightly, just enough to look Ginny in the eye and give her a nod of acceptance. "Okay. I love you, Gin. I'm going to miss you so much," she said, focusing very hard to keep further hysterics under wraps.

"I love you too," Ginny replied with a warm smile. "Don't forget it," she warned playfully. With another smile, Ginny leaned in and kissed Hermione on the lips. Hermione relished the feeling, trying to absorb the moment, only to have her bottom lip begin to tremble as emotion started to bubble up once more.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as Ginny pulled back. This time, the redhead's eyes were wet with tears of her own.

"Don't be sorry," she said gently.

She checked her watch and a look of disappointment crossed her face. "I really have to go," she said regretfully, before leaning in for a quick, final kiss.

"I'll message you soon," Ginny called as she took a step back.

Hermione tightened her grip on Ginny's now outreached hand and refused to let go just yet. A moment later, Hermione admitted defeat and reluctantly nodded, her lips pursed tightly together and a large lump in her throat. She couldn't speak. Ginny gave her hand a squeeze before pulling back, their fingertips lingering in a last, fleeting moment of contact. The two girls held each other's gaze until Ginny turned to jog over to the portkey. The brunette's body willed her to take a step forward in an effort to follow after the redhead, but her mind told her that she couldn't go. She lifted up a hand in a weak, half-hearted wave as Ginny glanced back to flash a smile before she placed her hand on the newspaper and disappeared.

**AN**: Not the longest chapter, which means that I will have to post the next chapter sooner. True, there wasn't a whole lot of progress in this chapter either, but hey, it's their last bit of time together for quite a while! Anyhow, thank you to everyone for your support! Have a great week :)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_**Hermione POV**_

Hermione stepped into the flames of her fireplace early Monday morning. Crookshanks watched her curiously from his spot on the couch, his large tail swishing back and forth in the air as the green flames surrounded Hermione while she checked her watch.

"_7:30_," she thought to herself as she sighed uneasily. _"Well, here goes_."

Her surroundings flashed past her in a whirlwind as she catapulted through the floo network towards the French Ministry. Suddenly everything stopped and she stepped out of the fireplace. She'd been here once before, but the aesthetics of the French Ministry still took her breath away. Their version of the Atrium had a glorious fountain in the center made of white marble, and in fact, their walkways were white cobblestone and the walls reached high above Hermione in a wide, white arches. Though the French Ministry was underground, just as the British one was, the ceilings had been enchanted to make it look as though they were outside. A blue sky with white clouds flowed across above Hermione, even magical birds flew along in the enchanted scene.

The brunette heard the fireplace roar behind her and she refocused her mind enough to move herself along behind the dozens of other Ministry employees. She followed a small group of employees into a vacant service lift. The ones here were similar to the British ones in function, but they appeared somewhat different. The lifts had golden frames and appeared to be made of glass. While the British service lifts jerked into motion and moved in a rather abrupt manner, these service lifts seemed to float from one location to another.

Hermione traveled up to the third level of the Ministry and got out of the lift; she being the only one left in the lift by that time. She tentatively, but swiftly walked down the corridor until she reached the large circular desk at the end of the hall before it branched off into two separate, smaller hallways. Behind it sat a blonde woman, probably in her late twenties.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted with a dip of her head. "I'm Hermione Granger, I'm working with Mr. Noirent, do you know if he's in?"

"Hello, Miss Granger," the woman greeted with a smile. "I'm Antonia. I've heard a lot about you, it's great to finally meet you. And yes, Mr. Noirent just got in. He should be in his office. Do you know where it's located?"

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, too," Hermione reciprocated as she held out her hand to shake the blonde's. She had to admit she was slightly unnerved to hear that her name had been circulated around enough to qualify as 'a lot'. She continued. "And yes, I stopped by the office over the weekend, so I know where Mr. Noirent's office is." She gestured down the hall. "Do you mind if I go in?"

"Not at all," Antonia replied. "Again, nice to meet you. Enjoy your day," she smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Hermione nodded once more. "See you later, have a good day."

With that, Hermione headed to her right and down the hall that housed the office that would be Mr. Noirent's for the duration of this project. She reached the office and though the door was open and she could see him at his desk, she knocked and waited just outside the threshold. He looked up at the sound.

"Miss Granger," he smiled, "Excellent to see you. Please, come in, have a seat."

She stepped inside and sat down in the cushy chair set up in front of his desk, setting her briefcase down next to her.

"Good morning, Mr. Noirent, how are you?" She asked, trying to keep her nerves and anticipation from making her voice shaky.

"I'm doing well, thank you. Yourself?" He asked.

"I'm doing fine, thanks," she replied with a small smile.

"Nervous?" He asked, eying her with a hidden smile.

"Yes," she laughed. "Very much so, sir."

"No need," he reassured her as he leaned back in his chair. "Today you'll meet the rest of the team and we'll just organize ourselves. Nothing too major. And I understand you already know Mr. Weasley?"

Hermione felt a wave of relief rush through her just at the mention of Percy. Though she wasn't sure how he would act towards her, especially after that incident at Christmas, she was still happy to have someone familiar around. Ron had informed her that Percy had moved to Paris a couple of weeks ago, but Hermione wasn't sure where he lived and hadn't heard anything from him.

"Yes, sir, that's correct," she replied.

"Small world," he smiled. "We'll be meeting everyone in the main boardroom at 8:30. In addition to Percy, Ted Higgit of the International Magic Cooperation department will be here, and of course, Ms. Vivian Blake."

"Are they all here for the duration of the project?" Hermione asked.

"Percy, myself, and Ted, are, yes. Ms. Blake will be here periodically. She was not supposed to be heavily involved at all actually, but recently the Minister announced that she was to take on a larger role in this project," he stated. Hermione watched him closely for any indication of his feelings on the matter; however, his straight face and even voice gave nothing away.

He went on. "We have a very capable, devoted team," he asserted as he sat up in his chair. "Yourself included. I have complete faith that we will be very successful here."

"I'm very happy to hear that, sir, and thank you. I'll do my best," Hermione promised.

"I know you will," he smiled. "I don't think I've heard Dumbledore talk so highly of a student before."

Hermione tried not to blush. "Well, Professor Dumbledore is always extraordinarily kind."

He smiled at her once more before standing up. "Would you like to see your office? Sorry it wasn't ready when you were here before, but you should have everything you need now. We still have a bit of time before our meeting, so you'll have a chance to get settled."

Hermione stood and followed him down the hall. Her office was at the end on the left. She looked at the office across, its door was closed, but she saw Percy's name on the nameplate and felt relieved that he would be so close. Hermione turned back to her own office and felt a sense of awe when she saw her name engraved on the nameplate that was displayed on the door.

"Here's your new home," Mr. Noirent said with a soft laugh as he held his arm out to showcase the office.

The office was smaller than Mr. Noirent's, understandably, but it was still quite nice. There was a good amount of room to walk around, and Hermione had a very nice desk, better than the one she had at home, a large chair and another, less luxurious chair for any visitors. She had a bookcase that currently held a few volumes, all appearing to be on the French Ministry and on laws in general.

"It's wonderful," Hermione said sincerely.

"Glad you like it," he nodded. "Well, I'll leave you to get settled. Again, 8:30, we'll meet in the main boardroom in the other hall," he instructed.

"Great. See you soon. Thank you," Hermione smiled.

After he left, Hermione set her briefcase down on her desk and sat down in her chair. She looked around in amazement; she couldn't believe this was actually happening. She was unbelievably nervous still, but just from this talk with Mr. Noirent, that nervousness transformed into excitement. Big things would be happening.

* * *

"Thank you everyone for being here on time. Shall we go around the table and do some introductions? Not everyone here has met."

Hermione watched Vivian Blake intently as she chaired the meeting. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a bun and she wore a very sharp, fashionable outfit that was probably worth the price of the rest of the team members' clothes combined. Her voice was confident, and commanded attention, yet was somehow unintimidating. Next to her lay a notepad with a magical quill floating over it. The device looked far too much like Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill for Hermione's liking and she really hoped that it didn't function exactly the same. Though the correlation irked Hermione, such charmed items made perfect sense for taking meeting minutes.

They went around the table saying short blurbs about their backgrounds and expressing pleasantries. Hermione felt horribly unqualified in comparison to the rest of the people at this meeting. Even Percy's verbal resume was very impressive and put a nick in Hermione's usual academic confidence. Hermione gave her speech as eloquently and composed as possible, she felt self-assured in her delivery, but was momentarily unnerved when she noted how Percy looked on at her unimpressed. Perhaps he wouldn't be such a comfort to have around after all. Despite his seeming lack of support, Hermione was surprised to see Ms. Blake giving her the smallest smile and gave an almost imperceptible nod. The brunette scrutinized the woman's actions looking for any sign of mockery or jest, but she finally, reluctantly, concluded that it was genuine and even encouraging.

After the introductions, each member of the team was assigned a task. Essentially they had to assess the current situation for themselves, gathering facts and evidence so they would know how to proceed. Ultimately, the French Ministry had the say on how the project would move forward, but Ms. Blake was insistent on the team having its own, independent idea of the current climate and how to tackle this issue.

"Granger," she said in her easy, yet forthright manner.

"Yes, Ms. Blake?" Hermione responded, feeling her heartbeat suddenly increase.

"You're responsible for knowing exactly what the current laws are. I want you to know how long they've been in place, what was before them, and determine what the weaknesses are. Document the latter and make sure you're up to speed by our meeting with the French Ministry in three weeks."

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione confirmed as she jotted down her assignment. A question popped into Hermione's mind and she saw that Ms. Blake was ready to move on, but she rose her hand anyway.

"The-" Ms. Blake stopped and directed her gaze back to Hermione. The blonde looked bemused and chuckled lightly. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but regarding the documentation of current policy weaknesses, I just wanted to know if you would like me to run them past you prior to the meeting with the French Ministry."

"No, that won't be necessary," Ms. Blake responded, all serious now. "I just need you to know so that you're on the alert when they present their initial assessment. I want you to be my eyes and ears looking for flaws."

"Okay, I'll take care of it," Hermione responded with a nod.

"Excellent. As I was saying..."

The rest of the meeting went by smoothly. Percy was assigned to work alongside Mr. Higgit in ensuring that relations with the French Ministry were well and intact. If they needed anything from the British Ministry, Percy was responsible for it. As important a job as that was, and Percy was quite obvious in how he, too, felt it was important, Hermione was thankful she had her task rather than his. She wanted to get into the nitty-gritty of things and this task let her do just that.

"Is everyone clear on the action items they're responsible for?" Ms. Blake asked as she eyed each of them. A series of nods and a few 'yes's were heard and she stood.

"Excellent. Thanks, everyone. This is going to be a great, successful project. I'm back to England later today, but I'll be here next week for our weekly Monday meeting. Enjoy your day," she said as she disabled the quill that was taking notes, swiftly gathered her things and walked in sure strides out of the room.

* * *

"Communicae Protea."

Hermione sat back on the couch and waited for a response. It had been a long day, but a good day. After this morning's meeting, Mr. Noirent had spoken to her briefly to check in on her to see if she was comfortable with how things were progressing. She expressed that she was very eager and feeling inspired and with a laugh he let her get to work.

Mr. Noirent, Mr. Higgit, and Percy had lunch together. It was a nice, casual lunch, though Hermione couldn't help but feel that Percy disrupted the easy chemistry that the group had. Hermione knew she was uptight and a bit of a know-it-all, but she did find that Percy was worse than her.

Hermione's recollections were interrupted as a life-sized image of Ginny appeared before her. Ginny was in her pyjamas and, presumably, sitting in her bedroom at the Burrow - a few days left until the school year started.

"Hi, Mione!" Ginny greeted excitedly. "How was your first day?"

Hermione laughed as Crookshanks jumped down off the couch and walked over to Ginny. Ginny must have noticed because she waved at him.

"Hi Crookshanks."

Crookshanks stilled momentarily before prowling in a circle around Ginny, both girls watching in amusement. Eventually, he crouched and tentatively swatted at Ginny. He scurried away into the other room when part of Ginny disappeared into smoke.

"Awww, Crookshanks," Hermione called. "You've scared him, Gin," she teased.

"Me? I didn't do anything," the redhead laughed.

"Crookshanks," Hermione called again. A moment later he peeked his head around the corner of the hall, his beady eyes honed in on Ginny.

"Hang on a second," Hermione said to Ginny as she got up and went over to Crookshanks and guided him back over to Ginny. "It's okay, Crookshanks," she said softly. "Come here, now," she said as she lifted him up and brought him back over to the couch and sat him down on her lap.

Ginny gave her an apologetic look. "Poor thing."

Hermione smiled at her girlfriend and once again took notice of Ginny's attire and surroundings. "I didn't wake you, did I? I hope I didn't keep you from sleeping," she said with concern as she studied the redhead.

"No," the younger girl laughed. "I was reading - believe it or not," she declared as she reached over to her bedside table to grab the book that lay there and hold it up for Hermione to see. "Are you proud?"

Hermione chuckled. "Extremely," she relayed in a flat voice, though she had to laugh further at how Ginny gave her a self-satisfied smirk.

"So, your first day, how was it?" Ginny asked as she set the book back down and settled herself into the bed once more.

"It was good," Hermione smiled. "I'm really excited for this project. The team is really good and we're all getting along fine."

"Even Percy?" Ginny joked.

"Yes," Hermione laughed. "Although, I think he's just being polite. I don't think he likes me much anymore," she added.

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

Hermione frowned as she tried to put the feeling into words. "It's nothing in particular, he just seems...cold, I suppose. His office is right across from mine, but he didn't come over to speak to me once during the day, and I couldn't go see him because his door was closed or he wasn't in. We did have lunch together, with Mr. Noirent, and Mr. Higgit - he's from International Magic Cooperation - and it was okay, but he barely acted like he knew me."

"That prat," Ginny scowled. "Well, in all honesty, you're better off. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets on people's nerves and steps on toes. His loss," she asserted.

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione smiled. "Enough about me, how's your day been? "

"Good, thanks," the redhead replied as she stretched and reclined further against the pillows behind her. "Got all my supplies for school, met up with Luna at Leaky Cauldron."

"How is she?"

"Same as ever," Ginny laughed. "Still searching for that elusive Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"Something on your mind?" Ginny asked.

A smirk crossed Hermione's lips and she looked up at Ginny through her eyelashes. "Very intuitive, Miss Weasley."

"When it comes to you, I would hope so," the younger girl responded easily. "So?"

"Well, Mr. Higgit asked me a bit about my personal life today. I was lucky to avoid the 'are you seeing anyone?' question, but I know I won't be so lucky for long. I still don't know what to say, and I could tell that Percy was starting to get on edge as the conversation inched that way," Hermione explained as she curled up a bit more on the couch.

"Tell him to screw himself," Ginny remarked, looking thoroughly irritated at the mention of Percy. Hermione just gave her a patient, yet disapproving look. "Honestly, he needs to stop," Ginny insisted further.

Hermione sighed. "What should I do if someone asks? I've thought it over a million times, but I need your opinion."

"Up to you," Ginny shrugged. "I understand if you don't want to tell anyone about us right away. But I know it's not so easy to just side-step the question. Tell them you have a boyfriend - one with a bad temper and has a proficiency in hexes."

"Gin," Hermione whined though she had to laugh. "I'm serious, what should I do?"

"I know, sorry," Ginny reluctantly said. "Honestly though, you could tell them you have a boyfriend."

Hermione fidgeted. "I don't know. I don't really want to lie."

"Well, it's either the truth or make something up. Maybe just say you're not seeing anyone."

"Maybe. I'd feel more comfortable with that," Hermione nodded as she contemplated that option. "But what about Percy? He knows."

"He isn't going to say anything," Ginny said.

"How do you know?" Hermione asked sceptically.

"Well, for one, he doesn't want anyone knowing his sister is a dirty lesbian cause that'd reflect poorly upon him and all his glory. Secondly, he knows that I'd hex him so bad he'd have bogeys the size of bludgers coming out of his nose."

Hermione made a face. "Charming." Ginny simply shrugged her shoulders, a complacent smile on her face.

"I'll speak with Percy, let him know what I intend to do," Hermione decided. "I think I'll go with the second option, you know, not seeing anyone. Are you sure you don't mind?" She asked, eyeing Ginny in slight uncertainty. Hermione believed that this was the best option for now, but if it was going to alienate or upset Ginny, she wouldn't follow through with it.

"It's fine, I understand," Ginny said. "Don't worry."

"Thanks," the brunette replied with a smile. She blew Ginny a kiss, knowing that was all she really could do since the girl wasn't actually within her reach. Ginny rolled her eyes, but reciprocated the action, a light blush on her face.

"I miss you," Ginny said quietly, dropping her gaze and toying with the covers on her bed.

"I miss you, too, Gin. I wish you were here," Hermione said, giving her girlfriend a sad smile.

"How's the Veela situation shaping up over there?" Ginny asked as she looked up to give the older girl a half-hearted smirk. "I actually have been working on my hexes, and I guarantee you that no amount of Veela sleaze could intimidate me."

Hermione laughed affectionately, despite the implied violence in Ginny's statement. The brunette didn't know how Ginny managed to make jealousy such a cute thing.

"There is no Veela situation," Hermione promised. "And considering the amount of work that I already have to do, I will be far too busy to notice anyone, not that I would in any case." Ginny didn't look entirely convinced. The right side of Hermione's lips tugged upward slightly in a smirk. "Trust me, Gin. Veela seduction just doesn't compare to Weasley charm."

**AN**: This is about as quick as it gets in terms of 'updating sooner' lol. So, things are changing for the girls! Thanks again to everyone for giving this story a chance. Have a great weekend, everyone!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_**Ginny POV**_

"Communicae Protea," Ginny said as she pointed her wand at the ring that she had set down on the floor of the Astronomy Tower. Thankfully there was no Astronomy class tonight, as such, this seemed like the perfect place for Ginny to get a little privacy for her conversation with Hermione. It would've been much more convenient to be able to message her from her dorm room, but with roommates around, it really wasn't ideal.

Ginny pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them as she continued to wait. She rocked back and forth a bit, as she idly looked outside at the night sky. It was still fairly early in September, so it was still quite warm and pleasant out despite it being quite late in the day.

She was about to sigh in impatience when Hermione appeared in front of her. Ginny was about to eagerly greet her, but her excitement was cut off when she took in the image of Hermione hunched over a stack of paperwork, busily writing away.

"Hey," Ginny said.

The image of Hermione visibly sighed and continued to scribble for a moment longer before she set down her quill and turned to face Ginny.

"Hi Gin," the brunette said tiredly.

"Still working again?" Ginny asked.

Hermione gave a weary sigh and glanced at the paperwork on her desk. "Yes. We had our first meeting with the French Ministry a few days ago and the assessment they brought forth has a lot of inaccurate claims and false correlations. I'm trying to dissect their assessment more thoroughly, provide evidence, counter-arguments and such, and then I'll bring it forward to Mr. Noirent."

"Ah, wow, that's hard work. Good job on finding those errors though," Ginny offered. She honestly didn't really know what Hermione was talking about, but she tried to sound otherwise and supportive.

Though she and Hermione tried to talk somewhat regularly, recently their conversations had been short, not giving enough time to go into detail about much of anything. Hermione was just too busy and despite Ginny's best efforts, Percy's words from last Christmas were starting to ring in her ears again.

"Yes, well, some of the errors are glaring. I don't know who's doing their research," the brunette said with a disapproving shake of her head. "And if we don't even accurately identify the problems with our current laws, we have no hope of creating a rightful reform."

Ginny smiled at Hermione affectionately. She really did admire her passion and dedication, even though it made her feel a bit distant from the girl right now. Ever since Hermione had started at the Ministry, she had been taking on an increasing amount of work and it looked like it was only going to get busier. Consequently, finding time to talk and talk extensively just wasn't possible.

"They're lucky to have you on their team," Ginny smiled.

Hermione let out a small laugh. "Thanks, Gin."

The two talked for a while longer, Ginny forcing herself to not be upset when Hermione would begin reading various documents and respond distractedly.

"Well, I should let you go," Ginny said as casually as she could while suppressing the disappointment that was working its way upward.

A moment passed as Hermione frowned at a document she was reading. "Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, Gin. I just have so much to do. I hope you understand. I'll be able to talk more over the weekend," Hermione promised, now making eye contact.

The promise appeased Ginny, though she wasn't entirely sure if it would pan out the way Hermione said it would. She seemed sincere enough though.

"No problem. Don't work too late," Ginny said with a wink.

Hermione laughed. "I'll try not to. Take care, Gin. I love you."

"Love you too.

Soon, the image of Hermione disappeared and Ginny stared absently where it was just moments ago. She expected herself to feel better after her conversation with Hermione, but she found herself feeling slightly worse. She knew Hermione was busy, and that she loved her, but she still couldn't shake this feeling.

With a sigh, Ginny picked the ring off of the floor and placed the chain around her neck, lifting her robes to tuck the necklace under them. She quietly walked back to Gryffindor Tower and settled into her bed. Curling up, she eventually found sleep.

* * *

"_Oh, __**now**__ you want to talk...,"_ Ginny complained inwardly as she felt a gentle warmth against her chest. She had been holding off on making plans with her friends because she anticipated hearing from Hermione, and of course, just when she had resigned and said she'd join them, Hermione wanted to talk. A couple of weeks had passed since their talk in the Astronomy Tower, and Ginny had to reluctantly admit that things hadn't improved at all.

Ginny excused herself from the group, surprising herself with her reluctance, and rushed off to an abandoned classroom before setting down her ring and saying the incantation. Hermione appeared looking notably frazzled.

"What took you so long?" Hermione questioned with a scrutinizing frown that made Ginny want to lash out with the exact same question, but she held back.

"Sorry. Was with friends," Ginny replied evenly, trying to keep her irritation and even hurt out of her voice. Hermione nodded as she sat back on the couch with a heavy sigh.

"Sorry it took me a while to call you, today's been a complete disaster," the brunette sighed with a roll of her eyes.

Ginny settled herself against the wall and listened with as much attentiveness as she could muster while Hermione gave her a hurried account of all the trials and tribulations she was encountering at work. It wasn't that Ginny didn't care - far from it; it's just that they hadn't spoken in a number of days because of Hermione's work, and now that they were talking, it was just work all over again. Ginny couldn't blame Hermione for being stressed out, but this isn't exactly how the young Weasley was hoping their conversation would be.

"-and I just don't understand how they can't see that. You know?"

"Yeah, for sure," Ginny replied as she nodded with a level of conviction that she hope satiated the brunette.

"See?" Hermione replied exasperatedly as she threw her hands in the air. She grunted her disbelief before continuing on. "I just don't get it. Anyway," she sighed as she sat forward on the couch to readjust her position. "How have you been?"

Since they'd last talked, Ginny had been mentally logging all the things she would tell Hermione when they finally spoke, but after the older girl's rant, suddenly things like quidditch practice or Luna losing her shoes again didn't seem nearly as significant.

"Um," Ginny started as she tried to think of a decent conversation piece, only to fall back on her original thoughts, "quidditch is going well," she reported with brightness that she had to admit was a bit forced. "The new team is working really well together - I'm glad with the choices we made. Natalie could even give Fred and George a run for their money."

"That's excellent, Gin," Hermione nodded. "How are your studies?"

Ginny cracked a grin - some things never changed and in this case she was thankful. "They're going well," she replied deliberately. "You have nothing to worry about; I'm getting in lots of study time even though my favourite study partner is nowhere to be found."

"Good," Hermione said as she returned Ginny's grin.

This small turn in their conversation somehow relieved Ginny of a weight that she didn't realize she had been shouldering. Newly inspired, Ginny was about to start into a story when Hermione's smile steadily transformed itself into a frown.

"Something wrong?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, shoot, I just remembered that I promised Mr. Noirent some documents for Wednesday," the brunette relayed as she knitted her brows together. Her eyes seemed to focus elsewhere in the room like they normally did when she drifted deep into thought.

"Oh, well, I guess you have a couple of days, right?" Ginny offered.

"Yes, but I have a lot of other obligations to take care of before Wednesday, too."

The recent easiness of their conversation proved to be fleeting as it was immediately whisked away when Hermione's work and stress permeated their talk once more.

"Well, I guess you better go then," Ginny suggested as she did her best to once more swallow her disappointment and not let it show through.

"Unfortunately, I think you're right. I'm sorry," Hermione said with a bit of an apologetic wince.

"Oh no, don't worry, Mione," the younger girl dismissed with a smile and wave of her hand. "I understand. And I can still catch up with the group. I'm just sorry that you're being so overloaded."

Hermione gave a small shrug as she began to rummage through her bag for her paperwork. "Part of the job," she replied nonchalantly. Ginny just chuckled for a lack of a better response.

"Sorry we couldn't talk more," Hermione apologized once more, taking a moment to catch the redhead's eye before returning to organizing her papers on the table before her. "We'll talk more next week, okay?"

Ginny readily ignored the pang that shot through her - the one she had grown so accustomed to in fifth year, but had more or less forgotten until recently.

"Yeah, for sure," she smiled, trying to sound both optimistic and enthusiastic - for whose sake, she wasn't quite sure yet. "Try to fit sleep somewhere in your schedule, okay?" She teased in an attempt to erase any negativity from their conversation; however, as she watched Hermione poring over a document, some part of Ginny realized that she was probably the only one with that concern.

"I will," the older girl laughed lightly as she glanced up at Ginny. "Thanks for understanding, Ginny. Send me an owl in the meantime, okay?"

"Of course," Ginny smiled. "Good night, Mione."

"Thanks. Night, Gin. Have fun."

With that, Hermione reached out, tapped the ring and disappeared.

Ginny heaved a sigh as she let her head fall back against the wall with a dull thud. Again, she shouldn't feel crummy, but she did. It wasn't personal, Hermione was just...busy.

"_Stop it_," Ginny's mind scolded her. She rolled her eyes in self-reproach - this shouldn't be an issue.

Forcing herself to get up, she walked forward to snatch the ring off the floor and hurriedly threw the gold chain around her neck. She roughly pushed the ring underneath her shirt and out of sight, as if the action would exhaust some of her frustration. Of course, no such luck. Tucking her wand away, she strode out of the room and down the hall. If internal reasoning couldn't calm her, then at the very least a healthy dose of social distractions would have to do.

Ginny walked briskly down the hall when someone's derisive voice caught her attention. Against her better judgement, she turned around. As the perpetrator and her entourage came into view, Ginny's shoulders slumped involuntarily in weariness.

"Not you again," she huffed as she eyed Astoria Greengrass in disdain. The girl was currently perched on one of the ledges of the corridor and was giving Ginny a cheeky smirk that the redhead really didn't appreciate.

"Aw, missing your friends?" Astoria asked in an achingly saccharine voice.

"Yeah, imagine that, Greengrass - friends! What a concept," Ginny replied bitingly as she took a few casual steps towards the Slytherins. The advance was apparently unwelcome and prompted each member of the group, minus Astoria, to step away from the wall and towards the lone Gryffindor.

"Not much without your litter of siblings, Potter and what was the other one?" Astoria took a moment to tap her chin in mock contemplation. "Oh right, **Granger**," she continued.

Just the mere mention of Hermione's name in such a manner set Ginny's temper aflame. All previous concerns about their relationship aside, Ginny never could stand how the Slytherins relentlessly taunted Hermione. The fact that this juvenile teasing was still going on despite the older girl no longer attending Hogwarts only made matters worse.

"Is that the best you can do?" Ginny asked in a flat tone before continuing on in sarcastic regret. "Oh no, is your sister still upset about that hex I hit her with last year? Or the points that Hermione took from your House? What's Daphne up to these days anyway? Is she shining shoes down at the Ministry? Though I can't imagine they'd let her anywhere nearby..."

Astoria immediately stood up and walked deliberately towards Ginny. "Not **everyone** wants to become a bureaucratic snob - you of all people should know that. And I wouldn't brag, your dad's a nobody in the Ministry and the only spot your little harping girlfriend could get is off in France, and helping house-elves no less," she finished with a haughty laugh.

Ginny was about to lay into Astoria when footsteps from down the hall echoed in her ears. Both girls turned to see Snape approaching; Ginny instantly knew that this conflict would be put on hold and she'd probably still manage to get in trouble.

"Is there any particular reason that you are loitering in the halls?" The professor asked, though he only made eye contact with Ginny.

"No, sir. I was just leaving," Ginny replied with a hint of reluctance that she was sure wouldn't go unnoticed.

"Wise decision," he replied slowly as she continued to watch her, apparently waiting for her to leave.

Turning on her heel, Ginny recommenced her trek down the hall and did her best to ignore the sounds of Astoria's chattering to Snape that bounced off the walls.

"Bloody Hell," the young Weasley muttered under her breath as she rounded the corner and soon entered the room where her friends and the others were residing. With a sigh of relief, Ginny hurriedly walked over to where Luna was sitting and practically collapsed into the spot next to her on the couch. A small chuckle escaped the redhead as she noticed Luna slowly turn her head towards her in question.

"Are you having a bad evening?" Luna asked lightly.

Ginny snorted out a short laugh. "No, it's just been odd."

"Odd is okay. I quite like odd, actually," Luna replied with a smile and a nod that made Ginny crack a genuine grin.

"So what does that say about Harry?" Ginny teased as she gave the blonde a gentle nudge.

"He doesn't mind," the Ravenclaw answered with a shrug.

Ginny continued to give Luna a smile and the two settled into easy conversation. A short while later, their talk came to a halt when Ginny caught Luna's watchful eye tracking someone. The redhead turned just as the person came to stand in front of them, recognizing the girl as Laura Madley, a Hufflepuff whom she shared Herbology class with.

"Hey, I'm just heading out for the evening, but wanted to stop over and say 'bye'," Laura explained a bit coyly as she stood with her hands behind her back, Ginny noting that the girl hadn't so much as glanced Luna's way. "Hey, Ginny, I noticed you weren't here earlier, I would've stopped by sooner," she continued.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I had to go back to my dorm for a bit," Ginny answered. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to be so mysterious about the rings, but she felt the urge regardless.

"Oh okay," Laura replied with an eager nod. "So, just while you're here, I was wondering, did you figure out that Herbology assignment?"

"Oh," Ginny said as she sat back, "yeah, I did. How about yourself?"

"Not yet. I'm stuck on one of the questions actually," Laura replied. Ginny shared a quick sidelong glance with Luna that confirmed that she was being baited.

"Oh, well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Gwen's really good at Herbology, her last assignment mark blew mine right out of the water – maybe she can help you out," Ginny suggested as affably as possible. From the look on the Hufflepuff's face, Ginny's response threw her for a loop.

"Right...good thinking," the girl offered as an awkward pause filtered in. Eventually, she piped up again. "Well, good seeing you. Have a good night!"

"Thanks, Laura. You too."

Ginny and Luna remained silent as they both watched the girl leave the room. The moment Laura disappeared from sight, the redhead snapped her head towards Luna with an unimpressed stare.

"What the Hell," Ginny stated simply and earning a soft laugh from her blonde companion.

"Seems like she likes you," Luna stated. Ginny just shook her head in dismay.

"Doesn't every girl know by now that I'm crazy about Hermione?" She asked. Really, in her mind, she had no idea how anyone could have any other interpretation of where her affections lay.

"Perhaps they're just feeling a bit bolder since Hermione's not actually around," the Ravenclaw hypothesized.

The irritation that had festered inside of Ginny regarding the encounter with Laura was erased as the reminder of Hermione's absence came up. Ginny couldn't help but be ashamed of herself over how her emotions were being so easily thrown about by this issue.

"Try not to worry," Luna went on. There was something about the way the blonde delivered the statement that made Ginny think that, yet again, Luna knew too much.

"Thanks, Luna. I'm not concerned," Ginny shrugged. "It'll blow over." The small smile that Luna granted her indicated that the Ravenclaw caught the ambiguity in her response.

With a sigh, Ginny carried on. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I'm gonna call it a night. Thanks again, Luna."

"No problem. Have a good night. Say 'hello' to Hermione for me. Tell her not to work too hard."

Before Ginny could catch herself, she flashed Luna a sardonic smirk. Really though, there was no point in trying to hide these sorts of things from Luna anyway – she always knew better. With a light chuckle, Ginny responded. "I'll certainly try."

**AN**: Not too much to say about this chapter. But, here you go, the beginning of Ginny's new school year minus Hermione. I believe the transitioning from the last chapter to this one was probably a bit abrupt, but hopefully not. Either way, hope you all enjoyed. Thanks again for all your support!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_**Hermione POV**_

Hermione stepped out of the service lift on the third floor and headed down the hall in purposeful strides.

After a quick pit-stop at her office to drop off her things, Hermione went off in search of Mr. Noirent. She had been up late last night, which was routine by now, but she was up particularly late last night to wrap up her critique of the French Ministry's initial assessment. She approached his office and looked inside but saw that he wasn't there and from the lack of jacket or briefcase lying about, he apparently wasn't in yet. She was about to head back to her office when someone's voice startled her.

"Looking for someone?"

Hermione turned and nearly slammed right into Vivian Blake. Taking a hurried step back to put some much needed space between them, Hermione caught her breath - vaguely noting that Ms. Blake hadn't flinched at all and stood there with her arms crossed, an amused look on her face.

"Oh, Ms. Blake," Hermione said. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"I see that," Ms. Blake replied evenly in more of a teasing manner than anything. Hermione blushed and went to speak, but Ms. Blake cut her off. "Jacob is in a meeting with a Ministry official - he'll probably be preoccupied for most of the morning."

"Oh okay. Thank you for letting me know," Hermione said with a nod and was about to excuse herself when Ms. Blake spoke up once more.

"Was it anything that I could help you with?" She inquired in such a manner that told Hermione that she had to fill the Department Head in on her news.

"It was just regarding the French Ministry's initial assessment," Hermione explained vaguely, waiting to see if Ms. Blake wished to know more. The woman gave a subtle nod of her head in response, urging Hermione to tell more. "I noticed that there were...some fallacies and holes in their arguments. As you had requested, I did research prior to their presentation of the assessment and a number of their claims don't line up with what I found," Hermione said with a touch of hesitation before finding her usual confidence.

"Go on."

"Well, for example, they stated that house-elves are only permitted in certain homes and those families must register their house-elf with the Ministry. They made the claim that they know of all the house-elves in France at any given time; where they are, who they belong to, and for how long they've been with that family," Hermione explained. Ms. Blake was looking at her intently now, studying her much more seriously than before. Hermione continued. "However, this isn't the case at all."

"How do you know that?" Ms. Blake asked calmly, gauging Hermione's reaction.

"Well," Hermione started, "I looked into the sources that they used for their research and the sources are only secondary sources and a number of them are incredibly dated. So, I took it upon myself to interview numerous house-elves on my own, and even managed to talk to a few willing families to see if I could gather some more current information and perhaps from another perspective. It turns out that there are hundreds of unregistered house-elves, even just here in Paris. While a registered house-elf has little rights, if you could call them rights at all," Hermione said in a low voice, "the unregistered house-elves are treated even worse, if you can imagine. It's wretched."

Ms. Blake simply nodded. Unnerved by the lack of response, Hermione went on.

"If the ethical part doesn't create cause for concern, then the criminal aspect should. While a family is held responsible by the Ministry for their house-elf's biddings and actions, if a house-elf is unregistered, then no one is accountable for their actions, granted they're ever caught, if they perform illegal activities. So even if the Ministry were to capture a house-elf and he is found guilty of a crime, he isn't officially attached to any family and there is no one to punish but the house-elf himself."

"Hm," Ms. Blake said, her arms still folded and her face unreadable. A moment of silence formed between them and eventually Ms. Blake said, "Take the French Ministry's assessment, modify it as you see fit and drop it off with me by Monday."

Hermione's mouth opened to speak, her words were lost in surprise.

"Is there a problem?" Ms. Blake asked.

"No, no, not at all. Thank you, Ms. Blake. I'll have it to you by Monday," Hermione responded eagerly. Ms. Blake's signature quiet smirk formed on her face.

"Wonderful. Have a good day, Miss Granger. Nice work."

With that, the woman turned on her spiked heel and walked down the hall to the service lift, her steps clicking all the way. Hermione didn't much appreciate Ms. Blake's off-putting attitude at times, but perhaps...perhaps, she'd prove to be a good leader.

Hermione went to turn around when Percy rounded the corner, stopping and peering between the now-absent service lift and Hermione.

"Was that Ms. Blake?" He asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered, unsure of what else to say.

"What did she want? Is she coming back? I was hoping to speak with her," he huffed.

"We just spoke about the French assessment. And she didn't say if she was coming back," Hermione replied, ending in an apologetic tone. "Sorry."

Percy huffed once more, his frown increasing. "No matter." He turned to leave and Hermione remembered her talk with Ginny a couple of weeks ago - she had meant to speak with him sooner, but neither of them had really had time. Newly determined, she called out to Percy.

"Yes?" He asked, unmistakably annoyed.

"I was hoping to have a few minutes of your time, I wanted to talk to you," Hermione said giving him a serious look.

"I'm very busy, the Minister-"

"It's about Ginny," Hermione interrupted, eyeing him further.

He looked nervously over at Antonia, who Hermione couldn't see, but didn't imagine was paying attention anyhow. Percy turned and walked briskly past Hermione, not bothering to look at her.

"We'll talk in my office," he said in a low, hushed voice.

Hermione scowled and wordlessly followed him. True, it was better to speak in private, and Hermione would've suggested it anyway, but his attitude was far from appealing. They entered his office and he ordered her to close the door behind her before he sat down in his chair, leaning back and looking rather pompous. With a heavy sigh she sat down in the chair across from him, sitting upright and matching his gaze.

"Okay, so what is it?" He asked, already impatient and unimpressed. Hermione refused to be intimidated.

"I know you've been wondering what I'm going to tell everyone about me and Ginny," she said, not bothering to beat around the bush. He broke their gaze, but looked back a moment later, newly intensified. She smirked, though it was void of humour. "Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything. As far as anyone here will know, other than you, I'm not seeing anyone. And know that Ginny and I spoke about this and we agreed upon this approach - you can confirm with her if you want."

"That's fine," he replied evenly.

"I would appreciate if you would honour our wishes," she said, her gaze turning earnest.

"That works well for me," he announced with a slow nod. "I'm glad to see you're heeding my advice."

Hermione bit back a scoff. "Yes, sure. But it's really more about establishing myself first. I'm not ashamed of who I am or of Ginny," she asserted.

Percy looked uninterested. "Doesn't matter to me. I just believe it's better for everyone to keep this quiet."

Just that statement alone made Hermione want to rush out and tell everyone about her and Ginny, just to prove him wrong and shove his ignorance in his face. But, she knew she was just upset by his words and felt that keeping quiet was like telling him he was right. She'd tell people eventually.

"Is that everything?" Percy asked in a bored tone.

"Yes. I'll let you get back to your busy schedule," Hermione replied as she stood and opened the door to leave. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Percy," she said politely before crossing the hall to her office and shutting her door.

* * *

"Hey Mione."

Ginny's tone was one of surprise, the delivery a bit winded. The girl stood before Hermione, her cheeks red and her hair unkempt, a slice of the quidditch pitch visible behind her.

"Hi Gin," Hermione smiled affectionately. "Practicing late, I see."

"Yeah," Ginny responded with a heavy sigh as she glanced back at the pitch. "I was sick of doing my Herbology assignment, so I came out here. Just put the bludger away," she said as she kicked at the jostling box on the ground, "That's why it took me a while to answer. What's going on?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Hermione apologized, momentarily ignoring Ginny's question.

"Don't worry," Ginny shrugged. "I interrupt you all the time."

"That's not true," Hermione frowned.

Ginny offered her a small smile with a tilt of her head. "If you say so."

"I do," Hermione responded rather firmly with a decisive nod. Ginny chuckled.

"Okay, Love." The redhead's soft smile faded as she eyed Hermione in concern. "Are you just getting home?"

Hermione laughed with a shake of her head. "Yes, Ms. Blake gave me this huge assignment, but it's good, I'm happy to do it."

Ginny continued to eye Hermione with worry.

"Honestly, Gin, it's good. She wants me to overhaul the French Ministry's initial assessment - on my own, with my own evidence and ideas. It's a huge task, but it's an honour," Hermione explained, still a bit in awe at how things had unfolded this morning.

"I guess that's good," Ginny said with a sceptical look.

"It is," Hermione laughed. A moment later her laughing ceased and she rolled her eyes. "Ms. Blake will probably take one look at it and throw in the garbage, though."

"I highly doubt that," the younger girl argued. "I doubt she'd ask you to do it if she didn't think you could do it or if she didn't care." Ginny's eyes brightened and she excitedly asked, "Does Percy know? He'd have a fit if he knew."

"You think?" Hermione asked, brows furrowing in apprehension.

"Completely. He'd be so jealous. He always has to be the little pet," Ginny snorted. The action was fleeting though, because she immediately stopped, a look of shock on her face and she began to stutter. "Not that you're, you know, her pet or something..." By now the poor girl's face was a deep red and she looked up at Hermione with sorry eyes.

Hermione gave her a disapproving look, but smirked. "It's fine, Gin. I get what you mean...and I'm not a teacher's pet...or Ms. Blake's...pet," she asserted slowly and with distaste.

Hermione cleared her throat and looked at Ginny uneasily. "Actually, speaking of Percy. He's partially why I messaged you tonight."

"What'd he do?" Ginny asked, immediately on the defense.

"Not too much," Hermione replied with an amused look. "I spoke with him though, about us. I asked him not to tell anyone about us and he seemed more than content with that."

The redhead gave a derisive laugh. "He would be." Her gaze shifted from side to side briefly in annoyance. "He's such a prat. I can't stand him. I'm sorry that you have to deal with him."

Hermione reached out to push a stray hair out of Ginny's face, but the image turned to smoke. The brunette pulled her hand back in mild surprise and disappointment, soon replaced by a feeling of foolishness for forgetting that Ginny wasn't really there. The smoke faded and a clear image of Ginny popped into place. Hermione let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Sorry," she mumbled before regaining her thoughts. "Right, don't be sorry about Percy. It's fine. I can handle him."

Ginny opened her mouth to say something when she turned away sharply and back again to check her watch.

"Oh no, I need to head back inside. I can message you bac-"

Hermione shook her head regretfully. "Actually, I should probably get to bed soon. I wish we could keep talking, but I should take a quick shower and then try to sleep."

Ginny's face fell briefly, but she put on a brave smile. "Sure, no problem. Well, I'm glad you messaged me. When should we talk next?"

The sweetness in the redhead's voice made Hermione's heart break, she winced a bit and replied, "Saturday?" She could see Ginny about to protest so she quickly rattled off her reasoning. "I have late meetings with officials from the French Ministry and then I promised Mr. Noirent some documents by Friday morning, but with this new assignment from Ms. Blake-"

Hermione stopped her explanation mid-sentence as Ginny raised her hand.

"It's fine," Ginny said evenly. "Don't worry about it. We'll talk Saturday. Take care of yourself, don't work too hard, okay?"

"Gin-"

"It's fine, honestly," Ginny insisted as she pulled out her wand. "Talk to you then. Bye, Love."

"Well, wai-"

Hermione's face fell as the image of Ginny disappeared and all that remained was the ring. She sighed. She felt like a terrible girlfriend. A scowl quickly formed on her face, who was she kidding, she **was** a terrible girlfriend. It was just so hard to balance things right now. It wouldn't be this way forever though - it'd slow down eventually.

* * *

"Excuse me, Ms. Blake?"

The blonde woman looked up from the paperwork on her desk at the sound of the interruption.

"Miss Granger," she said as she straightened up momentarily before leaning back in her chair.

"Good morning," Hermione smiled nervously. She could feel the sweat forming on her hands, it felt particularly obvious on the hand that held the booklet she had spent the last week slaving over.

"I would imagine that's your revision of the assessment?" Ms. Blake asked as she glanced at the document clutched tightly in the brunette's hand.

"Yes," Hermione answered as she stepped forward into the woman's office and helped herself to a seat. "I'm sorry I couldn't get it to you sooner. I wanted to ensure that all my facts were correct and properly cited."

"Very diligent of you," Ms. Blake commented lightly as she held her hand out expectantly. Hermione handed her the document, not realizing she was holding her breath during the exchange.

"Thank you, Miss Granger," Ms. Blake said as she set the booklet down on the side of her notably organized desk.

"You're welcome," Hermione said, unwilling to move, feeling as though more needed to be said. She had just spent sleepless nights poring over the assessment and making corrections - there had to be something more to say.

Ms. Blake had returned to the document she was working on prior, paying no further attention to Hermione. The brunette sat a moment longer, simply staring at the woman before her with a mixture of disbelief and irritation before abruptly standing. After a brief moment, she forced herself to walk calmly out of the room, absently realizing that Ms. Blake probably was going to actually throw the document out in the trash.

Her upset continued to build as she made the short trek down the hall to her office and sat down heavily in her chair. She took a moment to give an harsh flick of her wand that sent her office door flying shut; the inevitable slam of the door closing only stopped by a moment's ounce of willpower that made her ease up and let it merely click shut. She sat at her desk staring fixedly at the wall before her, simply gritting her teeth as her emotions continued to build despite her attempts to calm herself.

She immediately wanted to call Ginny; her girlfriend being the only one she wanted to speak to at the moment. It didn't even require a glance towards the clock though, for Hermione to come to the unfortunate realization that Ginny would be in class right now and unable to speak. Plus, Hermione was well aware that poor Ginny had been inundated with the brunette's work complaints for weeks now - it really wasn't fair.

Hermione sighed wearily and her gaze shifted to the stack of papers on the side of her desk. She really didn't have time to spare, but frankly, after that moment in Ms. Blake's office, Hermione didn't exactly feel at the moment that work deserved as much investment as she'd been giving it.

Without further hesitation, Hermione reached out and snatched up a blank piece of parchment and laid it out before her. She grabbed her quill, dipping it in ink and began to write.

_Dear Ginny,_

_I'm sorry I've been so busy - I know it's not fair to you. I just want you to know how much it means to me how patient you've been with me and how supportive. You've been incredible and sometimes I can't help but think I hardly deserve you at all. I hope you know how much I lo_

Hermione's writing came to an abrupt halt as a resounding knock carried through the room. Hurriedly clearing her throat and tucking the letter underneath another stack of paperwork, Hermione called out.

"Come in."

"Sorry to interrupt, Hermione," Mr. Noirent apologized as he opened her door just enough to take a step inside. "Ted and I are about to discuss the upcoming meeting with the French Ministry and we thought you should be involved. We're just in the boardroom if you have some time."

With virtuous effort, Hermione forced herself to repress the sigh of sheer frustration that threatened to escape, and instead offered her boss a smile. "Sure thing, just give me a minute to gather my documents and I'll be right over."

"Great. Thanks, Hermione."

"No problem," Hermione replied as she struggled to maintain her pleasant demeanour. Once Mr. Noirent was no longer in sight, Hermione let her shoulders slump in something that felt a bit too much like defeat and she slowly rose from her chair as she began to shuffle through her files. Her hands stilled as she came upon her letter to Ginny and a pang of regret shot through her chest as she tucked the letter away once more. She'd have to finish it later, though she wasn't sure quite when...

* * *

Later that week, Hermione sat in on the follow-up meeting to the French Ministry's presentation of the initial assessment. She sat down at the far end of the long, rectangular table, and absolutely hated that she wasn't closer to the action.

Ms. Blake hadn't so much as spoken to her since Monday when she dropped off the revision and Hermione had grown further insulted and embarrassed. She shouldn't have thought for even a second that it was an important task, because that made her failure that much more spectacular.

Hermione came back to the moment; a French official was speaking.

"-if there are no objections, we'd like to move on from this stage of the process. We-"

"Actually," Ms. Blake cut in, her voice casual, almost to the point of bored, "your assessment is inaccurate and horribly flawed. Perhaps your analyst was distracted when he completed his research and assembled this document." She picked up the document to eye it momentarily before tossing it lightly onto the table. "Miss Granger, here, however, was able to correct and complete your research and quite competently so. I suggest you read over her revisions," Ms. Blake announced as she held up Hermione's assessment. "I am confident that you'll find this version much more accurate and therefore useful. With your agreement, we'll use this document as the foundation for when we begin our policy formulation."

The French official looked stunned, and the analyst looked absolutely mortified. Finally, the French official found his words. "Ms. Blake, I have faith in my colleagues, and I personally looked at the assessment - I didn't see any of these...oversights, that you speak of."

Ms. Blake looked patronizingly amused. "With the resources that your department had access to, yes, I'm sure it was accurate. However, the sources you used were inaccurate and outdated, if we want the reforms to be effective, we need to know exactly what the current climate is."

"And where did," the official looked down the table in Hermione's direction, displeased, "Miss Granger, get her resources, might I ask?"

"It's all in here," Ms. Blake replied easily as she held up the document once more. "I suggest we take a week to let you and your team go over this document, and then we'll reconvene and move forward. I just want what's best for all of us, the house-elves, and the people of France, and this is step one. I would hate for the public to look back on the grounds for the decisions we made, only to criticize its inaccuracies."

Hermione's sat pin-straight in her chair, every nerve and muscle in her body taut with tension. She couldn't believe Ms. Blake just did that. She hadn't mentioned the document at all prior, and now this?

Ms. Blake rose from the table. "If you have any problems with this, please speak with me. However, I am confident that you will find the contents of this document to be more than satisfactory," she assured everyone as she gave a subtle nod to Hermione, who still sat completely stunned. Ms. Blake flourished her wand and a stack of paperwork appeared in front of Percy.

"Mr. Weasley," Ms. Blake said, "Please make sure everyone gets a copy of Miss Granger's assessment." She looked out across the table, waiting for an objection, before she said, "Okay then. Thank you everyone for your cooperation. 'Til next time."

Hermione briefly caught Percy's eye and the dark look that he gave her made her turn away. Forcing herself to look back, she witnessed Percy slowly rising from his chair, his wand out and manoeuvring booklets to each of the officials. Hearing clicking heels approach, Hermione turned her head just in time to see Ms. Blake eyeing her. The woman beckoned her with a wave of her hand. Hurriedly, Hermione gathered up her notebook and quill and walked in quick strides to catch up with the blonde who was already out the door.

Even though Hermione was still a few steps behind, Ms. Blake began to speak, not bothering to even attempt eye contact.

"Great work on that assessment, Hermione," the woman said.

The use of Hermione's first name caught the brunette off guard.

"I can see why you came so highly recommended from your professors," Ms. Blake said, now turning to Hermione as she fell into step. "The Minister as well."

Hermione amazed herself with a coherent response. "Thank you, Ms. Blake. I appreciate that."

"You deserve it. Your work was top-notch," the woman gave her a small smile. However small, it seemed like the first real smile that Hermione had seen from her.

"That's very flattering," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "I'm sure it wasn't so amazing. I just noticed a few small inconsistencies...that's all."

Ms. Blake gave her a studying gaze. "Given some time and experience, you could go very, very far - and I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Hermione blushed and thanked her as modestly as possible. That was a huge compliment to be receiving from anyone, especially someone of such rank.

"Let's meet again after the next meeting and we'll discuss how to move forward. Enjoy your day," Ms. Blake said as she proceeded to the service lift.

Hermione walked back to her desk in a daze. She had a lot to think about.

**AN: **Hi everyone! Thanks again for keeping up with this story and dealing with the measured pace. All reviews/alerts/favorites are much appreciated :) Hope everyone has a great weekend!**  
**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny sat around the crowded table in Three Broomsticks. A bunch of the seventh years had decided to go out for a round of Butterbeers on the weekend and Ginny was invited. She was expecting to hear from Hermione tonight, so she'd have to step out for a bit and rush off to a quiet area, but honestly, Ginny wasn't even sure if she was truly looking forward to hearing from the brunette.

Ginny sighed inwardly. Okay, of course she was looking forward to hearing from Hermione. It's just that Ginny felt so distant from Hermione lately. They still talked somewhat regularly, and Hermione made an effort to ask how things were going for Ginny, but the redhead just felt like Hermione's mind was always elsewhere.

"Drink up, Gin!" Colin called cheerfully from across the table.

"Why don't you order a shot of Firewhiskey," Ginny winked.

Colin looked uncertain. "Um, maybe another time." His expression became mischievous and he leaned forward conspiratorially. "If you want a glass, I think I know who could get you one." He nodded his head towards someone behind her.

Turning hesitantly, Ginny laid eyes upon a table of Hufflepuffs. She wasn't sure who she was supposed to be looking at until someone turned slightly and caught her eye with a small smile. Ginny spun back around in her chair, suddenly feeling rude for not smiling back.

"Don't tell me you're talking about Laura Madley again," Ginny said in a low voice and shooting her friend a very unimpressed look.

"I'm just teasing," Colin laughed. "I know you have Hermione. But Laura does like you, you know. It's painfully obvious."

Ginny arched an eyebrow and took a swig of her drink, choosing not to reply.

"How's Hermione been? I still can't believe she got that internship. Well, I can, but I can't, you know? That's huge."

Ginny smiled softly. "Yeah, she's pretty amazing. And she's really busy."

"I can imagine. That's a big job to do. I can only imagine what kind of resistance they'd meet. It must be hard doing the long-distance thing, too."

With a bit of effort, Ginny maintained her smile and responded, "I miss her a lot. But it's not so bad. Semester is almost half over, and I'll see her at Christmas."

"That's good, you know, I-"

Colin fell quiet as his attention, along with numerous others at the table, including Ginny's, were drawn to her mug of Butterbeer. It was now rising off the table, floating in front of her. They stared at it in puzzlement until it was suddenly thrust forward, its contents splashing out and towards Ginny. Thanks to Ginny's honed reflexes from years of quidditch, she was able to avert most of the Butterbeer projectile, but not all of it.

"Ugh," Ginny growled as she stood and examined the side of her shirt and pants that had been grazed by the drink. It wasn't a total disaster, but it pissed her off nevertheless. Her head snapped up to scan the room in an attempt to find the culprit. It only took a few seconds to spot the group of giggling Slytherins in the corner of the tavern, Astoria Greengrass among them.

Ginny had just pushed her chair out of the way and was about to storm over when Colin stood up and put a hand out to stop her.

"It's not worth it," he said as he gave her an imploring look. She stared hard at him for a moment or so until her inner debate ended with her deciding to sit down. She crossed her arms and leaned back with a frustrated sigh.

"Just ignore them, they're just trying to get a reaction out of you," Colin said. "You know that they're always..."

Colin's words faded out when Ginny felt something warm against her chest. She looked down at the ring that she knew was there, but nobody else could see was beneath her clothes. She flashed Colin an apologetic look, tossed down some money and excused herself from the table, ignoring Laura's and Astoria's eyes following her as she left the pub.

Ginny broke out into a light jog as she headed down to the wooded area, as to avoid being disturbed or seen. The parts of her clothes that were soaked in Butterbeer felt cold against her skin as the liquid was chilled by the brisk night air. Stopping a ways down the hill, she reached under her shirt and pulled the necklace out and then over her head. Setting it down on the ground she pulled out her wand and said the incantation. Hermione appeared.

The older girl appeared to be at home. She was sitting in her living room and Ginny could just see a glimpse of paperwork in front of the brunette. Even just the sight of the parchment made Ginny's irritation grow, replacing the warm, if not sad, feeling she had had towards her girlfriend just minutes before.

"Working late again?" Ginny asked, knowing the answer.

Hermione laughed dryly. "Astounding, I know."

"Work, work, work," Ginny chanted in a playful tone, though she wasn't teasing. Hermione gave her a look halfway between tired and annoyed.

"So, how's your day been?" Ginny asked, inwardly pulling back from the fight she felt tempted to start.

"Fine," Hermione responded distracted as she peered past Ginny. "Where are you?" Her gaze drifted from behind Ginny to Ginny's tainted garments and a frown developed on the brunette's face. "What happened to your clothes?"

"I'm in Hogsmeade. And don't even ask about the clothes."

"Oh," Hermione responded, looking increasingly confused and even slightly offended. "What were up to?"

"Just out with a bunch of friends," Ginny replied a little flatly.

"Oh." Hermione replied, turning contemplative. "Well, we don't have to talk. Go on, have fun. I have lots to do anyway."

The older girl's words sounded sincere and not malicious, but for some reason they set Ginny off.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Ginny snapped. "And don't talk to me like I'm a child."

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise before she looked sharply at Ginny. "What are you talking about?" She demanded.

"Just say what you want to say, Hermione. Don't be shy," Ginny pushed. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she was flying off the handle, but tonight she felt indulgent. Everything had just been building up for too long.

"Me?" Hermione exclaimed. "You're the one who clearly has something to say," she retorted. Ginny hesitated and Hermione pounced. "Well? Come on then, let's hear it."

Ginny scoffed, breaking their eye contact briefly. "I wouldn't want to take up any more of your precious time." She refused to weaken as she saw Hermione's mouth fall open in disbelief and apparent insult.

"Is that was this is about? Me working?" Hermione challenged. Ginny just looked on at her, keeping her expression even and knowing it'd set Hermione off - and it did. "Well?" Hermione asked in a shrill voice that Ginny was sure could be heard by anyone who happened to be wandering nearby.

"Come on, Hermione," Ginny taunted as she narrowed her eyes and spoke once more before she could stop herself. "You're not stupid, so don't act like you are." She immediately regretted the words the second they left her mouth, but she was too upset to take them back. The look of fury that flashed across Hermione's face sparked more of a fight in Ginny than before and it further cemented her reluctance to apologize.

"Well I'm sorry if I can't devote every minute to you, Gin. I thought you understood that I have to make a name for myself here and that involves putting in the hours. I'm trying, Gin, honestly, but there are only so many hours in a day...," Hermione replied in a steady, deliberate manner that Ginny knew the brunette used when she was exerting great effort in controlling herself.

Ginny knew that Hermione could've reacted worse, but the girl's response just confirmed what Ginny didn't want to hear. She didn't want to hear more about work and she didn't want to hear that it meant more to Hermione than her. It was selfish, Ginny knew, but she couldn't help it - especially right now.

"You sound like Percy. And I'm not asking for every minute," Ginny replied in a tone. "And even when we do talk I know you're just dying to get back to work. You just schedule me in like a task you need to complete - 'Talk with Ginny' - check! Done."

"That's not true," Hermione protested adamantly as she shot the younger girl a nearly scornful look. "It's not like that at all!"

"Sure," Ginny said sarcastically as she eyed Hermione patronizingly. "I can see your paperwork right there," she pointed in accusation. "If we weren't having a row right now you'd be shuffling through them this very minute. Go on, I know you're just itching to get back to work."

Without warning, Hermione suddenly threw her hands forward and shoved the paper away. The sound of the numerous sheets of parchment falling to the floor rang sharply in Ginny's ears and she nearly winced.

"Fine, it's gone now. Is that what you want? You want my undivided attention? You have it," Hermione said, her voice tight. Anger flashed dangerously in her eyes behind unshed tears.

Ginny mumbled her response, still unnerved by Hermione's physical outburst. "This doesn't really count."

The older girl looked like she was about to explode in anger once more, but instead took a large breath and a moment before continuing on in a calm, if not exasperated manner. "What do you want, Gin."

To feel needed, wanted, missed, Ginny thought to herself. She couldn't bring herself to say it though, suddenly afraid of being vulnerable. She felt so ashamed for making this whole thing an issue. She hated that she didn't feel stronger. She just shook her head. A horrible need to defend herself took over.

"Is this what it's going to be like?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "You just working all the time? Me just sitting on the sidelines waiting patiently for you to decide when it's 'convenient' to speak with me? Maybe you should've stuck with Mandy. She probably doesn't need much attention and she'd 'understand' your situation. Or maybe you don't need anyone at all? You're the Great Hermione Granger, after all - can't let anyone slow you down."

Hermione was about to speak when someone called Ginny's name from up on the street. Ginny turned and saw Colin and the gang. She was very thankful for the interruption and did her best to push the image of Hermione's expression out of her mind.

"What are you doing down there? Who are you with?" He called.

Ginny ignored his questions and responded, "Are you guys heading back?"

After receiving confirmation, Ginny called up one more time, "Okay, see you in a bit."

Turning back around, she came upon Hermione who sat very taut, her hands resting on her knees. She looked hard at Ginny. "Gin-"

"I'll make this easy on you and let you go," Ginny announced in a low voice. A flurry of apologies and explanations rushed through her mind, but instead, all that came out was, "Bye."

Hurriedly, Ginny tapped the ring with her wand and effectively cut off Hermione's protests. She felt absolutely wretched. She felt ashamed just putting the necklace back on. Regret over the way she acted and the things she said was already growing and tearing her up inside. She shouldn't have waited this long to confront Hermione, and she sure as Hell shouldn't have done it in such an antagonistic, hostile manner. She sighed heavily, only to have the sigh swallowed up by the tension within her throat. Despite everything though, she refused to call Hermione back and apologize. Whether this decision came from righteousness and pride, shame and hurt, or a combination of all these things, Ginny had yet to decide.

She took heavy-footed steps up the small hill to the road and had just reached the top when she felt the ring grow warm against her skin. The change made Ginny stop dead in her tracks and caused her breath to catch. She stood staring wide-eyed ahead as her heart beat stronger with every passing second that Hermione's call went unanswered. As her mind finally jolted back to life, she nearly went to grab the ring in a rush of desperation, but instead, slowly retrieved the ring. She stared down at the ring that lay in her hand and before she could let her thoughts get away from her, she shoved the ring gruffly in her pocket and began to march back to the school.

* * *

Ginny didn't bother joining up with the group as they headed back to Hogwarts, them already a ways ahead anyway. Taking her time and lost in her thoughts, Ginny walked quietly down the corridors on her way back to her dorm. She languidly got ready for bed and eventually settled in, staring blankly upward toward the ceiling. With a weary breath, she closed her eyes and turned onto her side hoping to get comfortable. A few minutes passed, but her mind wouldn't stop racing - that fleeting image of the look on Hermione's face...knowing that she had inflicted that pain just tore Ginny up. Sure, she would be the first to admit that she and Hermione had had their share of hurt and drama over the years, but since they'd been together as a couple, they'd never really fought.

Ginny involuntarily winced at the recollection of the words that so carelessly spewed out of her mouth just a short while ago and she roughly turned onto her other side in another vain attempt to find sleep.

With a frustrated groan, Ginny threw the covers off of her, snatched up the ring that she had set on her bedside table, and stomped across the room to grab her shoes, not caring about how much of a racket she was making. She descended the stairs at a steady pace and walked past the few remaining people in the common room, readily ignoring their prying eyes and walked through the portrait hole.

Ginny found herself breaking out into a light jog as she manoeuvred her way through the corridors, only to find herself nearly skidding to a stop when she suddenly ended up face to face with Snape.

"Going somewhere?" He drawled as he looked down his nose at her.

"I forgot my textbook up in the Astronomy Tower," Ginny replied with as little irritation as she could manage as she tried to not glare back at the professor or worse, shove him out of the way. All she could think about was what could possibly be going through Hermione's mind right now and what she must be feeling. Frankly, at this moment in time, Ginny very nearly didn't give a shit if she ended up in detention for the rest of the semester or cost Gryffindor 100 or more points.

"Likely story, Miss Weasley," Snape said, sounding about as unconvinced as he was unimpressed. "You may be in seventh year, but it is far too late for students to be wandering the halls. Please return to your dorm immediately."

"I need my textbook," Ginny asserted unapologetically.

"I will inform Filch that your elusive textbook is up in the Tower and he will hold it for you until morning," Snape declared. Ginny could swear that she could see just a hint of that repulsive smirk working its way into existence. It took all of Ginny's self-control to not lash out in frustration about this whole thing, and instead forced herself to reply calmly.

"Sir, with all due respect, I-"

"Enough, Weasley. Back to your dorm, now," he forcefully demanded, and Ginny realized that this was a lost cause.

"Yes, sir," she replied with shocking evenness as she spun on her heel and strode briskly away. Fine, she'd find somewhere else to go.

Glancing over her shoulder, Ginny confirmed that Snape wasn't watching her any longer and she hurried down another corridor. Lifting up her hand, Ginny checked her watch and let out something akin to a growl when she realized just how much time had passed since she'd spoken with Hermione. Okay, it hadn't been outrageously long, but during a time like this, it really felt like that much too long.

As she continued her journey, a sudden grinding noise jerked her out of her contemplation. She stopped and turned to look at the wall as a door appeared.

"Room of Requirement," she muttered with a brief, half-hearted laugh. She took a moment to examine the door before heaving a sigh and going inside.

"Hm, not a whole lot going on," she mumbled as she walked into the center of the room. The room was empty minus a cozy looking chair situated right in the middle. Regardless, she knew what it was trying to tell her.

Ginny sat down heavily in the chair and took her necklace off, placing it on the floor in front of her. She stared at the ring for a second as she felt that knot in her stomach grow and her throat begin to tighten once more. She exhaled in one last attempt to calm her nerves and reached out to the ring with her wand.

"Communicae Protea."

She continued to stare at the ring for what felt like ages. The more time passed, the more her worry evolved into anxiety. She wasn't even entirely sure what she was going to say. A shuddering sigh forced itself out from her lungs as she set her jaw; not knowing what else to do other than grit her teeth in self-reproach. She was about to end the spell when Hermione popped up.

Immediately, Ginny could see that Hermione had been crying. The girl sat on the couch under a small blanket, her knees pulled up, sniffling and her eyes red. She was looking away and brought a hand up to wipe away at a stray tear.

"'Mione," Ginny said remorsefully, leaning forward ready to envelope Hermione in a hug when she remembered that it was just an image. The redhead sat back, watching her girlfriend sadly. "'Mione, I'm so sorry."

"I almost didn't answer," Hermione stated, her voice sounding congested. She still refused to make eye contact with Ginny.

"I know, baby," Ginny said softly. Hermione looked put off by the term of endearment, but her features quickly softened.

Encouraged by Hermione's quiet acceptance, Ginny started to talk, not too sure what was about to come out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. I definitely didn't handle my emotions the way that I should have," she paused, gauging Hermione for any sign of a response.

"Is that how you really feel? You just want things to be over?" Hermione asked in a harsh voice as she glared at Ginny through red, watery eyes.

"That isn't what I said," Ginny replied urgently as she sat forward to eye the brunette in earnest. "I-"

"Really?" Hermione interjected in a scathing tone. "It sure sounded that way. Perhaps I should make it easy on **you** and let you go. Lord knows there are plenty of other girls who'd have you - you have nothing to worry about."

Ginny tried to interject but Hermione just talked right over her. Additionally, it seemed that Ginny's attempt at interrupting just fired Hermione up even more because she brought her legs off of the couch to sit facing Ginny, staring hard at the younger girl.

"Go on, maybe one of those girls with their fleeting star-struck infatuations can give you what you need, because I apparently can't," Hermione said in a way that left no room for Ginny to misinterpret the simmering emotions underneath the surface. Despite her effort, the shot still got to Ginny.

"Damn it, Hermione, if I was going to sleep around or have anything to do with any of those girls I would've done it a long time ago. This is between you and me - no one else," Ginny stressed.

A tense moment passed and Hermione's shoulders relaxed slightly. "I'm trying Ginny, but-" Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but quickly clamped her mouth shut and turned her head away as she began sniffling once more.

"Mione," Ginny breathed as her stomach dropped at seeing her lover like this. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for what I said to come out that way. I don't want to end things - not at all. Please believe me." Ginny watched helplessly as Hermione's shoulders started to hitch as quiet sobs took over, the brunette still looking away.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said once more at a loss for words. This would be so much easier if she could just hold Hermione, but that just wasn't possible right now. "I just...I don't know, it's so stupid," the younger girl sighed heavily. "I just miss you so much. I know your work is important to you and that's a good thing, that's what makes you who you are and it's part of why I fell in love with you. I just feel so disconnected from you. You have a new life with new responsibilities, new people, new priorities, new everything, and I can't stop myself from thinking I don't belong."

Now Ginny was looking away and she could feel Hermione's eyes on her. She did note, however, that the sound of Hermione's sniffling had stopped.

"I know it's not your intention," Ginny went on, "but I just feel like I'm being...I don't know...left behind."

"Gin, look at me, please," Hermione said with quiet authority.

With mild reluctance, Ginny turned her head to look at Hermione. The brunette's eyes were now gentle and when she spoke, her voice was sincere.

"It breaks my heart to hear that I've made you feel that way. Ginny, I need you to know that you always have a home with me. I know I've been outrageously busy, and it's true, I've been just expecting you to understand and not thinking enough about how it might make you feel. You've been so great about it all, and I..," Hermione paused for a second, seeming to re-think her thoughts before continuing on as she let her gaze fall to the ground, "I guess I've been taking advantage."

Ginny was about to comment, but Hermione forged on, now re-establishing eye contact. "I didn't know you felt as bad as you do, and I'm so sorry that it's gotten to this point." She took a moment to breath. "I clearly haven't been expressing myself right, because talking with you is the highlight of my week and you're honestly the only one who keeps me sane," she said with a slight chuckle. She grew solemn and continued, "I need you more than you'll ever know. And **you**, not anyone else."

Ginny laughed softly. It felt great to hear those things, but she didn't quite feel content. "Thank you, but I still can't help but feel like I'm an inconvenience. I'm sure you can do better things with your time than listen to me talk about quidditch." She really wasn't used to feeling this uncertain.

Hermione frowned. "I know this is a hard time and there's a lot of change going on, and I realize now how distant I've been - it hasn't been fair to you at all. But the bottom line here is that I wasn't sorted into Slytherin for a reason; while all the responsibilities I've been given have been very flattering and I'm very much invested in this cause, I would give it all up if it meant that achieving all that meant losing you."

"Hermione," Ginny reprimanded, "I don't want you to have to choose. If I kept you from achieving your dreams, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You'd deserve someone better than that."

"Well, I don't think it'll come to choosing one or the other," Hermione reasoned. "I just need you to understand that those achievements would mean nothing if you're not in my life. I may not be able to sit across from you every night in the common room, but I still love you. Nobody else makes me feel like this."

"I miss you," Ginny said simply. There really seemed like no better words to describe how she was feeling at the moment.

"I miss you, too," Hermione said with a sad smile. "And I'd be lying to say that this hasn't crossed my mind before, you know, me being so busy. I even began to write you a letter confronting this issue, but I let myself get wrapped up in other things and I never finished it...," she trailed off, the regret in her voice not going unnoticed by the redhead.

"Well," Ginny started, "I know you're busy..."

"No," Hermione replied a bit fiercely, catching Ginny off-guard. "It's not an excuse. And you shouldn't make excuses for me either. You're –" Hermione repositioned herself on the couch once more and looked to the younger girl, eyes shimmering with tears once more. "Ginny, you're the love of my life, and I haven't been acting like it. And to know that I've hurt you, it's just too much. I'm so sorry. I got so wrapped up in work, and I forgot what really matters. And I mean, I know how crazy the girls are for you, you really could have someone else in no time. I'm not around and I'm not attentive enough...," Hermione trailed off.

"Stop that," Ginny reproached. "And really, it's not necessarily about how frequently we talk, it's just that, to me, it seemed like you didn't miss me all that much."

"I miss you every day, Gin," Hermione said earnestly. "So much."

"I miss you, too. Sorry I was so spastic. I should've talked to you sooner about this, I just didn't want to seem demanding or selfish," Ginny said in a soft voice.

"Don't apologize, Gin. This isn't your fault," Hermione said with a pointed look. "It's not demanding or selfish of you to want to speak with your girlfriend for more than a few minutes at a time...God, Ginny, I'm so sorry. Please, if for some unknown reason I slip back into insanity and let it get anywhere close to this point again, please, tell me. Though, I wouldn't deserve another chance. I don't want to lose you, Gin..."

"You won't. And I don't want to lose you either," Ginny said with a small laugh.

"You won't. Ginny, I'm sorry - and I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier. I promise that we'll talk more and it'll be different. You're my priority, Gin, I'm sorry I ever made it seem otherwise."

Ginny just offered Hermione a small smile and reached out her hand towards the girl. Hermione put her hand out as well and their hands hovered above one another's just barely apart. Ginny slowly turned her hand and Hermione moved hers in time, both girls silent.

Ginny let out a sigh. "Well, it's late, and later there. I should head back. I'll have to sneak past Filch and Snape," she smirked.

"I'm sure you'll manage," Hermione replied with an amused smile. "So, are we okay?" She asked with slight apprehension.

Ginny chuckled softly. "Yeah, we're okay. And yes, if things **don't** change, I'll talk to you sooner about things rather than just playing tough," she said with a sly grin.

"They will change, don't worry. I'll make certain of it," Hermione promised. "Okay, sweet dreams, Gin. I love you very much."

"I love you too. Good night, 'Mione."

**AN**: Okay, bit of a confrontation between Hermione and Ginny. Better for them to talk sooner, rather than later, right? Jk. I'll try to post the next chapter sooner than usual since not a whole heck of a lot happened this chapter lol. Well, I hope everyone enjoys their weekend!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

_**Ginny POV**_

_-the quaffle is passed from Nigel to Ginny - oh, Pritchard hits the bludger towards Ginny...that's not very nice...but Ginny is quite quick, as you can see she didn't have much trouble avoiding that bludger. It appears as though Astoria is closing in on Ginny, but Ritchie sends a bludger Astoria's way - again, not very nice, but last week Ritchie helped me find my shoes, so I still think he's a good person. Ginny heads down the pitch...another goal for Gryffindor._

Ginny swung around and flew past the commentators' box and gave Luna a very amused grin. Luna's commentaries were certainly unique; she'd give her that.

"Good pass, Nigel," Ginny yelled out to her teammate. "Good work, Ritchie. I never liked those Greengrass girls anyway," she winked.

Another play started up and Ginny hung back, waiting for an opening. Slytherin currently had possession of the quaffle, but they were having trouble gaining ground on the pitch.

Ginny caught Demelza's eye and gave her a nod. Receiving a nod of confirmation, Ginny shot left and Demelza shot right and they both flew out in front of Greengrass and hooked back around coming at her in a 'V' formation. They closed in on her and apparently unnerved her enough that she nearly lurched to a stop and threw a feeble pass that Ginny intercepted.

With a sharp tug, Ginny turned to the Slytherin goals and rocketed towards them. Only Maddock was hanging back and serving as defense and Ginny flew past the young player with little effort.

_Another goal for Gryffindor by Ginny Weasley. She's doing particularly well today, isn't she? She has been practicing a lot, though sometimes I think she does it get things off of her mind. But that's okay, we all do things like that. Slytherin seems to not be in the favour of the Winkle Fairies today, though._

Ginny laughed heartily at Luna's odd commentary. She flew back towards the others at a leisurely pace as she waited for the next play to start. She scanned the players in front of her, absently noting how Demelza was waving at her, and frowned. Where were-

* * *

It felt like Ginny had been run over by a train. She felt so disoriented and her whole body ached. Her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton and she couldn't quite open them. She tried to move her arm and after what felt like considerable effort, she finally willed it to move, only to feel a dull pain in her side.

Slowly, Ginny became aware of someone or something leaning over her, enough to block out any light that made it through her closed eyelids. Then, she felt something warm on her forehead...soft contact of some sort, almost like a kiss.

Ginny frowned, the simple action sending shockwaves of pain through her head. Then she felt a hand stroking the side of her face. Ginny mustered up all her energy and she pushed at the person.

She blinked, but her vision was blurry. She moaned as bright light invaded her eyes and she squeezed her eyes shut. Immediately, Ginny felt the person reaching for her again.

"Get off me," Ginny mumbled, disappointed at how feeble it sounded - nothing like the stern, aggressive statement in her head.

Ginny was surprised when she heard gentle laughter. She blinked her eyes again, her vision steadily improving. With a final lingering blink followed by a bit of squinting, the person before her took form.

"M-Mione?"

"Hi, Love," Hermione smiled, reaching across to give her hand a gentle squeeze. The girl's smile turned into a playful smirk. "Good to know that even in a daze you'd fight off an over-zealous girl."

"Mione," Ginny smiled, the relief she felt was evident in her voice.

"Mind if I kiss you now?" Hermione said with a teasing smile.

Ginny closed her eyes. "Please do."

She felt a gentle, tender kiss fall upon her forehead once more, before another kiss landed on her lips. Hermione pulled back, and Ginny reluctantly opened her eyes, missing the contact.

"Do you know what happened?" Hermione asked, as she pulled up a chair and clasped Ginny's hand in-between her own.

Ginny went to shake her head, but winced when the movement gave her a sharp reminder to stay still. Hermione was up in a second, and moved one hand up to tenderly cradle Ginny's head. She kept her hand there for a few moments before sitting back down.

"The Slytherin beaters fouled you. Apparently the next play hadn't started yet and they came up behind you and knocked you off your broom. You had a concussion, a couple of broken ribs and a broken leg. Madame Pomfrey has fixed you up, but you're still going to be in pain for a while. She's had you on sleeping draughts for the past day."

Ginny's mind whirred with the information Hermione just gave her. She didn't know where to begin.

"How-how did you know?"

"Luna contacted me. I came as soon as I could," Hermione said, gently stroking Ginny's hand.

"Thanks," Ginny said slowly. "Geez, I haven't seen you since August and I'm looking like this when you finally see me again." Ginny tried to laugh, but her efforts were cut off and she gritted her teeth in pain.

"I'll go get something to help with your pain," Hermione announced quietly as she rose and walked away, their touch lingering as she departed.

Ginny was nearly asleep again when Hermione came back.

"Drink this, it'll help you feel better," she said as she helped Ginny sit up enough to drink back the potion.

Ginny coughed after swallowing the potion, some of it getting caught in her throat. Hermione placed a soothing hand on her shoulder, and Ginny practically collapsed into the pillows after the fit was done - it simply exhausted her. A feeling of contentment swept over the redhead as she felt Hermione gently stroking her hair.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, even just her voice comforting the redhead.

"Mmm."

* * *

A while later, Ginny woke up, hardly realizing that she had fallen asleep again in the first place. Thankfully, the waking up process was much easier this time. She blinked a few times to see Hermione sitting in a chair next to the bed, a book open in her lap. Ginny's mind raced as she recalled what happened previously, though not having a clue how long ago that was.

"Mione?" She asked, her voice already much stronger than it was before.

"Gin," Hermione smiled, sounding and looking pleased as she turned to the younger girl. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Ginny smiled. Her body still felt like a mess, but she was just so happy that Hermione was actually here and it wasn't just a dream.

Hermione smiled back and reached out to smooth Ginny's hair. "Brave girl."

"I'm so happy you're here," Ginny said.

Hermione leaned in to plant a quick kiss on the redhead's forehead. "I'm just glad you're okay. You gave me a real fright, Gin." Concern shone brightly in Hermione's dark eyes. "I'm going to be grey and with a heart condition by the time I'm 25, what with you and this sport," she smirked.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said with a soft smile. "Though, if I had known that all it took to see you was to get knocked off my broom, I would've done it ages ago."

The brunette gave Ginny a look of severe warning. "Don't you even dare, Ginny Weasley."

"Kidding, kidding," Ginny laughed lightly.

Hermione leaned in and kissed Ginny once more before settling back into her seat.

"How'd you get time to come here?" Ginny asked.

"I took some personal days," Hermione shrugged.

"How many?"

"This is the second day, and I'll take one more, then I have to go back," Hermione said.

"I've been out for two days?" Ginny asked with as much exasperation as she could pull together. "What a waste. I slept through it all."

"You needed the rest," Hermione admonished. "You **still** need rest."

"Two wasted days," Ginny reiterated.

Hermione smirked. "Well, you've had a number of visitors." She gestured to the window ledge behind Ginny's bed. Though, Ginny didn't feel up to turning around to observe what was there, Hermione got up and fetched a couple of cards that were displayed there.

"Cards, chocolates, flowers, you name it," Hermione laughed. "I might have weeded out a few gifts from a few select girls..."

Ginny laughed. "That's my 'Mione."

"Nothing you'll miss, I'm sure," Hermione said dismissively as she put back the cards. "Love potions and whatnot," she shrugged. "Those were the brave ones anyhow. A few others took off at a run when they saw me."

"I'm so proud," Ginny smiled amused.

"Vile creatures," Hermione stated airily. "Trying to take advantage of you in your compromised position."

Ginny was about to jokingly offer Hermione her wand to perform some hexes when a thought suddenly came to her.

"Where's my ring?" She asked with a degree of alarm and concern as she tried to sit up.

Hermione's hand gently pushed her back down on to the bed as the girl stood. "It's safe - right here," she picked it up off of the bedside table and held it up for Ginny to see. "I'll keep it here for now, though."

Ginny sighed with relief. "Thank goodness, I was worried." She felt Hermione kiss her hand sweetly.

"Well, it's safe, Love," the brunette smiled softly. "I'm glad you like it so much."

"It's great for many reasons," Ginny said. She suddenly realized how heavy her eyelids felt and she blinked lazily.

"You're still recovering, you should get some more sleep," Hermione advised in such a way that Ginny knew she didn't have much of a choice.

"I'm fine."

"Gin," Hermione warned lightly.

Ginny heaved a heavy sigh that pushed her ribs a bit further than was comfortable. She winced and gave a small laugh.

"Okay, you win. You better not be gone when I wake up."

"I'll still be here," Hermione promised with a small laugh. "Get some rest."

With a roll of her eyes and a played-down smirk, Ginny turned her head away from the brunette and closed her eyes. As much as she didn't want to give in to sleep, soon it took over and she was swept away.

* * *

_**Hermione POV**_

Hermione walked briskly down the hall to her office, her steps echoing down the otherwise empty workspace. She had just gotten back late the night before. She had desperately wanted to stay in bed this morning, but she had a lot to catch up on after missing three days. It was so early that if the office weren't underground, she would have been able to confirm that the sun surely wasn't even beginning to peek over the horizon.

As she entered her office, numerous paper airplanes lay scattered on her desk - an alarming reminder of just how much she'd missed. With a heavy sigh Hermione sat down in her chair, setting her briefcase off to the side and began unfolding the memos.

"FYI...can you get section 14.2 to Ted...meeting Thursday," Hermione muttered under her breath as she flipped through them hurriedly. She was nearly done scanning them when her breath caught in her throat. "Oh no."

Hermione glanced at the clock on her wall and quickly tried to determine if Ms. Blake would be in yet. The note didn't give any details - time, content, or otherwise. She didn't notice anyone in the office when she came in, but she shouldn't assume.

With another sigh, uneasy this time, Hermione stood up. She smoothed out her clothes in trepidation and began the short trek to Ms. Blake's office.

Hermione tread just a touch lighter as she approached Ms. Blake's office. The door was open and a soft light was being emitted from the room, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. She stopped in front of the open door and looked in, as luck would have it, there sat Ms. Blake.

"Good morning, Hermione," Ms. Blake greeted evenly without glancing up from her work.

"Good morning, Ms. Blake," Hermione said, struggling to rid her voice of her nervousness and sound pleasant instead. "You wanted to see me?"

"Mm, yes, please have a seat."

"_Oh God_," Hermione thought as she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the empty chair, her hands folded in her lap.

"So, I heard you had to take a few days leave," Ms. Blake said, her tone sounding casual, as though stating any random fact. "Was everything okay?"

Hermione gave Ms. Blake the answer she had rehearsed over and over. "Family emergency. Everything's okay now, though, thank you."

"Mm, that's good that everyone's okay," the older woman replied with a polite smile.

Hermione sat awkwardly waiting for some sort of indication on whether their conversation was over or if there was more to discuss. Finally, Ms. Blake looked up to make eye contact with Hermione.

"So the French Ministry accepted your assessment - again, excellent work. You put their policy analyst to shame." Ms. Blake gave an airy laugh. "Moving forward, we need to begin formulating new policies. They'll just be proposals at this point, of course, but this time the French Ministry wants you to work with their people so we can avoid any further setbacks."

When Ms. Blake said 'setbacks', her nearly humorous tone caused Hermione to frown in question. Ms. Blake just gave her a pointed look.

"Anyhow, I trust that you will be more than capable of guiding the process along. I hope you don't mind the additional responsibility."

"No, not at all," Hermione insisted. "It's a great opportunity and I'd be happy to help."

Ms. Blake gave her a curious smile. "Ambitious **and** kind. Rare combination."

Hermione was about to respond when Ms. Blake went on with her thought.

"What would you like to accomplish back in London? What is your long-term goal?" Ms. Blake asked, sitting back and gauging Hermione.

"Well, I'm hoping that the reforms we set in place here can be introduced in England as well," Hermione answered. "Beyond that," she frowned in thought, "I'd like to eventually transfer over to Magical Law Enforcement and work on policies in other areas of the Ministry. I believe my impact would be greater if I were in your department. Which, by the way, it is a huge honour to be working so closely with you," Hermione expressed, hoping to not sound like she was just spewing hot air.

Ms. Blake gave her another small smile. "Thank you, dear, that's sweet. Pleasure is all mine, though. It's not often that someone so bright and with so much promise comes by. And I believe your assertions are right, this is a good department to be in and I do believe that you could go far. In fact, the way you're going, you could have Jacob's job in no time," she chuckled.

Hermione blushed. "Thank you, that means a great deal. And I'm not trying to take Mr. Noirent's job from him - not at all. He's been really kind to me." Ms. Blake gave a slight nod of acknowledgement but didn't speak further. Hermione felt the need to continue their talk. "So, you must be absolutely swamped. You already have so much responsibility, and now this project as well," she said. "I can't believe how well you handle all of that stress. And the way you really reined things in at the Ministry after," Hermione hesitated briefly, "Mr. Thicknesse, well, it's very admirable."

Ms. Blake sat forward with a shrug. "It has been busy, certainly. And the transition last year after Pius, well, that was interesting, but we all got through it."

"That was absolutely terrible," Hermione blurted out, as she remembered reading the expose on Pius's offenses. "Someone of such high rank and power, abusing it and corrupting the system."

Ms. Blake offered her a kind smile. "You're very passionate," she stated. "And apparently of strong ethics, as well. A true Gryffindor, indeed," she said with a playful wink that completely caught Hermione off-guard. The blonde sobered and continued on, "Yes, it was tragic, really. I-"

Ms. Blake cut herself off and her gaze snapped up towards the door. Wordlessly she picked up her wand and with a slight twitch of her hand the door closed rather audibly. Hermione turned in her chair to look at the now closed door, and saw the silhouette of a figure standing outside. Turning back around, she saw Ms. Blake setting her wand down - she continued.

"I worked with Pius for many years and he had become a true friend. When I had learned of the things he was doing," she looked down at her desk, apparently lost in thought, "it was just...disheartening, to say the least. I didn't want to believe it. You think you know someone..."

Hermione nodded her head earnestly. The thought of experiencing something like that made her heart ache in sympathy. She couldn't imagine having to come to terms with that sort of betrayal. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she also couldn't believe that Ms. Blake was telling her these things. The woman was always so distant, so this very personal disclosure left Hermione in awe.

"Anyway," Ms. Blake said, her tone anew as she sat back in her chair once more. "Let's not linger on such things, shall we? I'm sure you have lots of work to catch up on," she commented with a faint smile.

"Yes," Hermione nearly stammered, caught off guard by the ending of their conversation. She stood. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Blake."

"You may leave the door open when you leave," Ms. Blake replied, returning to her aloof ways. "Have a good day."

Hermione opened the door as she turned back. "Thank you, you as well."

A few moments later, Hermione was seated back in her office again. She was laying out some paperwork, though her mind was on her recent conversation with Ms. Blake. A firm knock at the door drew Hermione out of her musings.

"Oh, good morning, Percy," Hermione said, somewhat surprised to see him in her office - he never stopped by.

"Was Ms. Blake talking to you about your absences?" Percy asked as he stepped in.

"Ginny's doing fine, thank you for asking," Hermione replied sternly as she locked eyes with the boy that she couldn't believe was Ginny's brother.

"Right," he said with a shake of his head, looking momentarily regretful, even if it was just a flash of concern. "Well, Madame Pomfrey is highly capable, she's dealt with worse, so I had no doubt that Ginny would fully recover."

"That's not the point," Hermione snapped. "She's your sister," she said exasperated. "You should be worried about her, or I don't know, maybe visit her," she continued in a snarky manner. "Heaven forbid you miss a day to check up on your little sister who just suffered a concussion and several broken bones."

"Well I'm sure Ms. Blake had words for you about missing the time that you did," Percy replied haughtily.

"I had approval from Mr. Noirent," Hermione retorted in a slow, deliberate way. "And, if you must know, Ms. Blake wasn't reprimanding me at all. She told me I'm to take on a greater role with the French Ministry's policy creation process and she spoke with me about other future opportunities for me at the Ministry." Hermione knew she was just rubbing it in, and perhaps exaggerating ever so slightly, but Percy deserved it. From the look on his face, it looked like she had struck a nerve.

The look of subdued upset on his face was erased with a scoff. "I'm sure she's just being nice."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, because Ms. Blake is so concerned with everyone's emotions and making sure everyone feels appreciated," she replied dryly. Percy was about to spit out a comeback when Hermione held up her hand to stop him. "I'm sorry, Percy, but I really do have a lot to catch up on. I'll send Ginny your regards," she said pointedly.

He seemed to contemplate a response before ultimately turning on his heel and stalking out of her office. A moment later she heard his door shut.

With a sigh, Hermione grabbed a piece of blank parchment, ignoring the way that the rest of her paperwork called out to her. She laid out the parchment, dipped her quill in ink and began to write.

_Ginny,_

_Your brother is a total prat (not Ron - Percy). I'm sorry, I'm just upset with him right now. He does care for you, he's just all mixed up and has his priorities in the wrong places. Not that I can preach, but I'd like to think I have a better handle on things than him. You'll keep me in check, won't you? Just kidding, though feel free to. _

_I hope you're feeling completely better now. Although, considering how you were in the Room of Requirement...I'd say you're more than fine (I can only imagine what other things that room has seen). But, on that topic, thanks for the wonderful visit - makes me think I should swing by more often. If only I could!_

_Well, I miss you already. I'm sure I'll have talked with you through our rings before this gets to you. I just needed to get this out of my system._

_Miss you, love you._

_Hermione_

_PS - That Hufflepuff girl stopped by twice while you were in the hospital wing. She does know that you're not the only one who can work a hex, right?_

Rolling up the parchment, Hermione made a short detour to the French Ministry's owlery and sent an owl on his way with Ginny's letter. Arriving back at her office, Hermione got comfortable in her chair knowing that she was settling in for a long, long day.

**AN**: A little bit of quality time for the girls ;) Even if it was brought about by something not entirely positive. Thanks again to everyone for their support! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_**Hermione POV**_

"Thanks, everyone, for joining me for this impromptu meeting," Ms. Blake said as she walked into the room and took up a seat, hardly glancing at the rest of the team who were already seated. "As you all know, we presented the proposal to France's Minister for Magic early yesterday," she said as she sat back and now looked out among her team. "I just spoke with him and a number of higher up French officials and he said that the proposal is good to go-" Hermione lit up, "-**if** we can present enough evidence that proves these reforms are desired by the public. We're starting to receive some push-back and the Minister is unconvinced that these reforms will go over well. It appears as though when he initially signed off on this project he wasn't quite aware as to what the definition of 'reform' was," she finished dryly. "As such, he requires that we obtain written confirmation of support from at least 50% of all registered house-elf owners **and** 25% of that must be from families whose house-elf ownership dates back four generations or more." There were murmurs around the table, but were quickly snuffed out as Ms. Blake continued. "**And** we will need to secure funding from outside sources, totalling at least $100,000 galleons."

"That's outrageous," Hermione asserted, a look of total disbelief on her face. "How are we are ever going to get all that?" She looked wildly from Ms. Blake to the others and back.

"There's more," Ms. Blake informed her. "We need to secure all this by February 1."

Loud objections rang out across the room as everyone began talking over one another.

"But that's hardly 2 months," Hermione protested. "It's impossible. How can they justify these demands?"

Ms. Blake shook her head. "Well, the Ministry is well supported politically by a number of families that likely fall into this 25% range of four-generation owners, so the Minister was probably just recently advised that without their support these reforms could cause backlash. As for the funding, that would appease some of the less wealthy house-elf owners and also to encourage registration; the French Ministry intends to set up a fund for monetary support of qualified families who can't afford to pay their house-elves on their own."

Everyone at the table was shaking their heads, minus Percy.

"I told you your reforms were too radical," Percy shot as she stared down Hermione.

Normally, Hermione would've gladly gotten into a row with him over such a topic, but right now she refused to waste her energies on him.

"Would it help if we altered the proposal?" Hermione asked Ms. Blake, refusing to look at Percy.

"Perhaps," Ms. Blake shrugged. "But I think we all very well know that we're all wasting our time and might as well go home if we don't try for these changes."

"But, I just don't see how we can get that kind of support so quickly," Hermione admitted with reluctance.

"I thought you believed in this initiative," Ms. Blake said. Her voice was light, but her eyes hinted at the underlying challenge in her words. "I thought a Gryffindor, of all people, would try." Her eyes now twinkled.

Hermione swallowed in unease. "I'm just being logical."

"Look," Ms. Blake said with an ounce of impatience beginning to show through, "I've worked with the Minister before, we can lessen the reforms, but he now has it in his head that this project isn't going to work. He'll shut it down. If we can't prove that this is worth fighting for, he'll send us packing."

Hermione noted how nearly pleased Percy looked, but chose to ignore him. Mr. Higgit looked pale, and Mr. Noirent looked defeated.

"Scrimgeour will have my hide," Mr. Higgit said in daze as he stared absently at the table.

"No, he won't," Ms. Blake chided. "He'll be displeased, of course, we all know how much he expected this project to do for our diplomatic ties, never mind the resources that have already been invested into this, but he'll get over it."

Hermione frowned. She wasn't sure what to do or what to think. Everything had been going so well, and now this. She honestly couldn't see how they could meet the Minister's requests, but at the same time, she could not be content with herself if they gave up. She looked over at Ms. Blake who was watching her quietly.

"Hermione?" Ms. Blake asked.

"I think we should try," Hermione nodded, her voice filled with determination.

Ms. Blake smiled softly and turned to the others. "Gentlemen?"

Mr. Noirent and Mr. Higgit gave reluctant nods. Percy sat very straight in his chair, looking rather stern, before finally giving in under Ms. Blake's calm, but unyielding stare.

"Then it's settled. We'll carry on," Ms. Blake stated as she flicked her wand and a slew of parchment came out of her briefcase and settled into a neat pile before her. "I have a list here of all the registered house-elf owners. I, along with the French Department Head, will be splitting the list amongst you."

Another set of nods began in a wave around the table, one eager, a couple tentative, and one displeased.

"I'm counting on you," Ms. Blake said as she rose from the table. With another flick of her wand all her papers were back in her briefcase and she was walking out of the room. As she walked out of the room, Ms. Blake caught Hermione's eye briefly and gave her a single nod.

Hermione's eyes followed Ms. Blake until she was out of sight. Eventually she noticed Percy's gaze upon her, she looked over and he was staring at her darkly. She stared back at him, unflinching, both of them refusing to speak until Mr. Higgit and Mr. Noirent had left the room. The second they had left, Percy gave an abrupt wave of his wand and the door closed, locking them into this heavy silence. A moment later, Percy spoke.

"Now look what you've done," he accused.

"I didn't write it single-handedly, you know," Hermione retorted. "And you heard Ms. Blake, she thinks we can do it. And even if we can't, we need to try."

Percy scoffed. "How idealistic. I must have missed the potions class where they taught us how to brew naivety in a bottle."

Hermione scowled indignantly at the boy. "Why are you even here, Percy? If you hate this cause so much, why did you sign on?"

"I don't hate the cause," Percy remarked. "We never had a house-elf, you **know** that. Regardless, Mr. Scrimgeour personally requested that I be here, so, here I am."

"Does he know that you have such a poor attitude?" Hermione asked defiantly.

"Does he know that Ms. Blake has apparently lost her better judgement because she's so taken with you and your little crusade?" He challenged.

"What?" Hermione asked slowly, her eyes narrowing dangerously at him as she crossed her arms.

"It's so obvious, you're her little pet," he replied lightly.

"Ms. Blake respects my work, and that's the only reason she ever talks to me. She's just as quick to criticize me as everyone else," Hermione asserted.

"Yes, 'Hermione'," he drew out her name. "She never calls anyone else by their first name. I don't know what you've done, but she's playing favourites and you're it."

"I haven't done anything!" Hermione protested. "You're just jealous. You can't stand that someone else might actually be capable or get some level of recognition."

"Oh, you can have this recognition," Percy scoffed. "I don't want my name tied to this disaster."

Hermione was about to retaliate when she caught herself. She was too furious, she had to cool down. She let out a heavy sigh, momentarily closing her eyes in an attempt to put a cap on her indignation. When she opened her eyes she checked her watch. It was late, time to go home.

"Fighting isn't going to do us any good," Hermione reasoned. She half expected a retort from Percy, but he eventually gave a reluctant nod of agreement. "We can talk more about this later if you want. But, right now, it's late and I think we both have a lot to think about. I'm going home. Have a good evening."

Hermione stood without waiting for a response, though she heard Percy grunt out a scoff. Though it would've normally irked her, right now, she frankly didn't really care. She made a quick stop off at her office to gather her things and went downstairs to the floo network.

The second she stepped out of the fireplace, and into her living room, Hermione hurriedly took off her necklace and set it on the floor. She stood and waited, feeling far too agitated to even sit down. She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Ginny," she growled under her breath as she tapped her foot with increasing frustration.

A relieved sigh escaped Hermione's lips as an image of Ginny popped up. If she weren't in such a foul mood she might've laughed at the image of Ginny, as she appeared to be huddled in a corner of some kind.

"Hey, what's up?" Ginny whispered. "Whoa, what's wrong?" Ginny asked as her eyes widened momentarily, apparently after assessing Hermione's demeanour.

"The French Ministry, your brother, lots of things," Hermione rattled off, her arms folded against her chest.

"Oh," Ginny said. "Tell me what happened."

Numerous minutes later, Hermione wrapped up her retelling of the recent events to Ginny. The brunette was nearly out of breath because she barely took a second to breathe as she hurriedly jumped from one point to the next.

"Wow, I can see why you're upset," Ginny said slowly, seeming to ponder everything just said. "If I kill Percy in his sleep, do you think anyone will miss him?"

"Gin," Hermione laughed despite trying not to. "Please, I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"Okay," Ginny said as she gave her an apologetic smirk. "Well, do you think you guys can do it? Meet all those requests?"

Hermione sighed heavily. "I...I honestly don't think so."

"Well, do you think Ms. Blake would set you guys up for failure?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so...I don't think she's someone who fails at anything. She's very capable and knows what she's doing."

Ginny shrugged. "So, then I guess you're good to go."

"I wish it was that easy," Hermione smirked ruefully.

"Well, it sounds like this Ms. Blake likes you, and according to Harry and Ron, she doesn't like much of anyone, so she must know that you're special. I would think that she trusts that you'll get what you need."

"Maybe," Hermione sighed.

"Just take it easy for now," Ginny said. "You can only do so much, so do your best, and that's that."

"Thanks, Gin. Sorry to unload all of that on you," Hermione said as she moved over to the couch and sat down.

"You got it," Ginny responded nonchalantly.

"Where are you?" Hermione asked as she arched an eyebrow.

"Hiding in Babbling's classroom," the redhead replied as she looked around. "I was coming back from dinner when you messaged me."

"Sorry," Hermione said, wincing in apology.

"It's fine, I'm happy to talk," Ginny nodded. "Or listen," she added with a laugh.

"Thank you," Hermione smiled.

Ginny winked, and despite Hermione's residual foul mood, the action still sent her heart a flutter. "Anytime."

* * *

Hermione stirred, and slowly blinked her eyes as she woke. She let out an exhausted groan as she dragged her body upright. With a slight shake of her head, a feeble attempt to rid herself of her lethargy, she turned her head to check the time.

"9:52,"Hermione mumbled in disbelief. She never slept this late. "Ugh, Crookshanks," Hermione complained as he kept nudging up against her. "What's wrong?" She asked exasperatedly as she looked at him. He meowed at her and nudged her again.

Shaking out her head once more, she slowly slid out of her bed and went into the kitchen to fetch him some food.

"Here you go," she said as she bent down to give him his bowl. He just pushed right passed it and meowed at her again.

"What is it?" She asked. "Water?" She went over and grabbed him some more water and he ignored it as well. "Crookshanks," she whined, "I don't know what you want. Are you not well?" She knelt down to examine him and he purred, rubbing his face against hers. "Aww, you're just lonely, aren't you? No other students to bother, or my parents. I'm sorry, little Crookshanks. I'll try to be better," she said softly as she stood up and stretched.

With a yawn she padded to the bathroom for her shower.

As she got ready, she thanked her lucky stars that it was Saturday. Even after her shower, she still felt groggy. She put a hand to her forehead, feeling for a temperature. It felt about normal to her, maybe all the stress from work was just finally catching up.

A short while later, Hermione was settled at the dining table drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. As she was draining the last of her coffee, a light tapping at the window caught her attention. She looked up to see Pig hopping up and down outside on the ledge. With a smile, Hermione crossed the room and pushed the thin curtains aside to open the window. She had hardly opened the window when Pig squeezed through and did an erratic loop around her living room to eventually settle on her shoulder hooting happily.

"Well it's good to see you too," Hermione laughed as she took the scroll from his outreached leg. "Hold on a second, I'll get you a treat," she said as he hopped off her shoulder and flew over to the mantle above the fireplace to seemingly examine the moving photos on the wall.

"Okay, here you go," Hermione said as she reached her hand out to Pig and offered a small treat. "You don't have to go back right away," she said. "Rest, you've had a long journey." With a subdued noise, Pig flew to the other side of the room and got comfortable on a small ledge before closing his eyes.

Hermione smiled at the small animal before sitting back down at the table and opening the letter. Crookshanks circled her feet as she began to read.

_Hi Love,_

_I just got back from practice and I have to say that the Planner was amazing as usual. Everyone's still amazed by how brilliant it is. It's a good thing I'm so adept at hexing or else I'm sure someone from an opposing team would've stolen it from me by now._

_So how are the efforts to get support for your project going? If anyone can talk some sense into the house-elf owners it's you. Are you sure Percy has to speak with people too? If anything, he's just going to create opposition for you guys. Perhaps not intentionally, but he's wretched at hiding his displeasure with things. _

_Anyway, I should go. I promised Colin I'd help him with our Transfiguration assignment. Take care of yourself. I can't wait to see you (3 weeks to go!)._

_All my love,_

_Ginny_

Hermione's quiet smile grew as she finished reading Ginny's letter. Three weeks - Hermione sighed at the thought, that felt like a long time. Though, she imagined those three weeks would absolutely fly by. Starting Monday, they were supposed to begin speaking with the prospects for garnering testimonials of support for the project. In fact, today Hermione had committed herself to begin researching those on her list to see what the best angle would be when she approached them.

On top of this whole 'establishing official support' task, Hermione had holiday festivities to cope with. The French Ministry's Christmas party was coming up, and Hermione had to admit she never particularly liked these sorts of networking celebrations. She anticipated that this would be like the Slug Club, intensified. She'd obviously never attended a work holiday function, but she couldn't foresee it being an enjoyable event. Everyone in her team was bringing a significant other, even Percy, which was odd because she had no idea he was seeing anyone. The only person not bringing someone was her. However, she quickly cut that thought short by reminding herself that she **did** have someone to bring, unfortunately Ginny was unable to attend due to her schooling, plus, well...nobody knew about them. Other than Percy, of course.

With a tired sigh, Hermione walked over to her briefcase and pulled out her stacks of documentation. Her eyes scanned the profile that lay at the top of the pile. She shook her head wearily; there was no bloody way he'd sign in support of their cause. Tossing the paper onto the table, she leaned back in her chair and assessed the paperwork before her. She picked up her wand and gave it a quick wave. A few seconds later she could hear more coffee brewing - she'd need it. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Hermione sat in Mr. Noirent's office at the end of the afternoon and gave him her latest prospecting report. The team had been speaking with the people on the lists provided by Ms. Blake for the past two weeks and Hermione was absolutely stunned by how well it was going. From all of the profiles that at least Hermione had been provided, nearly all of them should've been slamming doors in their faces. Amazingly though, that hadn't been the case.

"Great response rate," Mr. Noirent glowed. "Everyone else's came back with similar results," he said, clearly still in awe. "This is such excellent news. I have to admit, I was really worried originally. And even after last week's positive results came in, I thought maybe it was just 'beginner's luck' or some other such rubbish. But," he gestured to Hermione's list of signatures, "I'm starting to believe that we might actually reach the quota."

Hermione shook her head in pleasant disbelief, a smile on her face. "I know exactly what you mean. I felt, feel, the same way," she laughed.

Mr. Noirent nodded and added Hermione's list to a pre-existing stack of signatures. "Ms. Blake will be very pleased, as will Mr. Scrimgeour." He gave a small light-hearted chuckle. "You know, I couldn't believe how optimistic Ms. Blake was when she announced the French Ministry's requests, but it appears as though her confidence in the project was well-placed."

"Nothing gets past her," Hermione laughed lightly. "She just always seems to know."

He smiled at her and handed her next week's list of prospects.

"We have a meeting booked with Beauxbatons late next week. They have a huge amount of house-elves residing there, similar to Hogwarts. We're hoping not only to get their written support, but we're hoping to secure the majority of our funding from them."

Hermione nodded in agreement, knowing that Beauxbatons was their best bet, but even then, gaining the school's support could be a real challenge.

"Well," Mr. Noirent said as he sat back in his chair. "You should go home. We have a big night tomorrow," he said with apparent displeasure in reference to their Christmas party, "so rest up. You look very tired. Are you feeling well?"

Hermione smiled embarrassedly. "Oh yes, I'm fine. I'll just be sure to get more sleep tonight. Well, I'll see you tomorrow night. Have a good evening," she said as she rose from her seat.

"Good night."

A short while later, Hermione arrived in her flat. She yawned as she set her things down. She truly was exhausted. A weary sigh escaped her mouth tailed by a light laugh. At the end, this would all be worth it - it had to be.

**AN**: I apologize for the lack of Ginny/Hermione time in this chapter. They'll get more quality time soon enough. Hopefully everyone is enjoying their weekend and has an extra day or two off from whatever it is they're doing. Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

_**Hermione POV**_

A sense of awe fell over Hermione as she stepped into the main foyer of the French Ministry. The area was normally breathtakingly gorgeous, but today festive lights laced the expanse of the room, twinkling like stars in the night. In the middle of the room a giant Christmas tree stood where the fountain normally was, and it was decorated to perfection. There were numerous decorations placed strategically around the room and the ceiling had been enchanted so that it now appeared to be snowing - the entire room was absolutely divine.

"Good evening, Hermione. You look beautiful."

Hermione spun around to see Mr. Noirent smiling kindly at her, a woman next to him that she could only assume was his wife.

"Hello, Mr. Noirent," Hermione smiled as she gave him a nod of her head. "How are you?"

"Not too bad, all things considered," he said in exaggeration with a goofy grin on his face as he eyed the room. "I'd like you to meet my wife."

The thin woman extended her hand with a smile and Hermione returned the gesture. "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Noirent."

Mrs. Noirent gave a small chuckle. "Please, call me Marie. I'm not a big Ministry official," she said as flashed her husband a teasing glance. "And it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Jacob has had nothing but good things to say about you."

Hermione blushed lightly. "Oh, that's too kind of you, Mr. Noirent. I'm hardly deserving of such praise - just doing my job."

Mr. Noirent raised his eyebrows in doubt. "A great job at that," he said decidedly. "Anyhow, we'll let you mingle. I wish they'd just go ahead and serve dinner," he mumbled and received a playful nudge from his wife. "We'll see you later."

Hermione bid them farewell and began to wander amongst the various Ministry employees, most of whom she didn't know. Feeling rather awkward and out of place wandering around alone, it was actually a relief to spot Percy. She walked briskly towards him, keeping him in her sight as not to lose him in the large crowd. As she neared him, she noticed a petite girl latched onto his arm - likely his girlfriend, or at least date.

"Good evening, Percy," Hermione smiled as she reached the pair.

He looked over at her, scanned her up and down with a level of scrutiny and glanced next to her before speaking. "Alone, are you?"

Though it was true, the fact that he had to go and point it out, and in **that** tone, infuriated Hermione. However, she smiled politely and responded, "Indeed. My date couldn't make it tonight."

"Pity," he said dismissively. "Well, I'd like you to meet **my** date. Hermione, this is June. June, this is Hermione; her and I have been working together on the house-elf initiative."

The dark-haired girl gave Hermione a faint smile, and Hermione returned it with about the same enthusiasm. She turned her gaze to Percy once more.

"Yes, Percy and I have been working together, but we actually have known each other for years," she announced lightly. She smiled at June and ignored the mild alarm radiating off of Percy. "You see, I'm actually **quite **close with his sister. I've spent a significant amount of time at the Burrow with the family."

"What's the Burrow?" June asked as she peered up at Percy in question.

Percy looked flustered, his cheeks turning a shade of red as he stumbled through a response. "It's just...a nickname that my silly siblings gave our home. It's actually quite a nice place though," he insisted with an eager nod.

Hermione had to admit that she felt a bit of sympathy for Percy. He tried so hard to ignore where he came from, who he was. She didn't anticipate that he would've hidden 'The Burrow' from this girl, and she did feel a bit bad for bringing it up. She was about to chime in and play along with Percy's story when he hurriedly ushered June away. Hermione sighed as she watched them leave. She was about to determine where she should go next when a voice came from behind her and startled her.

"Has a lot of insecurities, doesn't he?"

Hermione gasped and turned around to come face to face with Ms. Blake.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" Ms. Blake asked lightly.

Hermione laughed tentatively. "A little. How are you?"

"Fine, thank you. Yourself?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"That's a lovely dress you're wearing," Ms. Blake admired with a slight cock of her head. "You didn't arrive with a date, but you may leave with one."

Hermione laughed embarrassedly and could feel heat rush to her cheeks. "Oh, I highly doubt that," she responded. "And you look great."

Ms. Blake gave her a tiny indulgent smile. "Rumour has it they're going to serve dinner any minute now. Care to join me?"

A wave of nervousness pushed through Hermione as she smiled and thanked Ms. Blake and followed her to the exceedingly large table that had suddenly appeared a few feet down from the Christmas tree.

Hermione smiled and politely greeted all the officials who came to sit near them, Percy and June deciding to sit across from them. With a pop, a plate full of turkey, gravy, and all the fixings appeared in front of each person along with a goblet of pumpkin juice.

The ensuing small talk wasn't quite as painful as Hermione had anticipated. Percy had designated himself as a key speaker in their section as he felt the need to butt in to every conversation and make himself heard. Ms. Blake had been quite quiet this whole time and Hermione deduced that the older woman was just amusedly observing. The sly cursory glances she sent Hermione's way every now and then confirmed this.

Finally, a French Ministry official that Hermione was introduced to at the start of dinner, but didn't know beyond that, leaned forward to see past Ms. Blake and directed a question Hermione's way. "So, Miss Granger, how long have you been working with the Ministry?"

"Only about four months, sir," she replied, thankful she didn't have a mouth full of food at the time.

"Impressive," he stated with a look of surprise on his face. "I've heard your name a few times over in our neck of the woods. All great things."

Hermione couldn't stop the puzzled look on her face from forming. "Really? I mean, wow, I'm flattered. Thank you, sir."

He chuckled and gave a nod towards Ms. Blake. "Vivian, here, has been singing your praises up and down these halls. And that's saying a lot," he laughed furthermore, drawing similar reactions out of those within earshot of the conversation.

Hermione looked to Ms. Blake questioningly and in probably a much more incredulous manner than she had intended. Ms. Blake simply shrugged.

"It's well deserved. Your passion far outreaches others involved," Ms. Blake's blue eyes falling ever so briefly upon Percy, "and that passion has really driven and inspired us all. To see someone so young with such strong beliefs and convictions, coupled with superior intellect, I really can't say much other than good things about you," she stated nonchalantly.

Hermione laughed nervously, feeling her whole face radiate with heat. "Really, you're much too kind and generous, Ms. Blake. I haven't done anything special."

"Modesty, what an admirable trait," Ms. Blake noted, and a few others nodded in agreement. "And it's nice to see a career-minded woman such as yourself. So many people, especially women, get caught up in relationships and let them interfere with their careers."

Hermione felt a lump develop in her throat and her eyes instinctively flashed to Percy. There was a glint in his eye that she really didn't like.

"Oh, Hermione didn't tell you?" Percy asked lightly as he sought eye contact with Ms. Blake.

"Percy," Hermione said imploringly.

"Tell me what?" Ms. Blake asked, her voice now suspicious as she shifted her gaze between Percy and Hermione, scrutinizing both.

"She's engaged," Percy announced easily. He briefly waited for a response from Ms. Blake, but quickly locked eyes with Hermione.

The brunette's mouth fell agape for a moment before she set her jaw.

"I'm not engaged," Hermione asserted, her voice authoritative as she looked to Ms. Blake who now eyed her with an eyebrow arched every so slightly.

"Oh," the older woman replied evenly.

"Ginny won't be very pleased to hear that," Percy replied, his voice daring her to retaliate.

Hermione was about to protest when the French Ministry official she'd been talking with a moment ago cut in.

"Ginny? Isn't that a girl's name?" He asked, clearly perplexed.

Hermione could feel her cheeks burning and her heart beat strongly in her chest. Her mind raced to determine a way out of this situation, but all possibilities faded away as the on-looking faces stared intently at her and each passing second felt like she was digging herself a bigger hole.

"Well, I am seeing someone," Hermione started. She was having trouble keeping her voice steady and did her best to maintain eye contact with those around her. She kept reminding herself that she had no reason to be ashamed. "I have a girlfriend."

Murmurs broke out around her and Hermione felt her panic rising. She struggled to keep her breathing even. Laughter broke through Hermione's thoughts and her eyes snapped forward to Percy.

"I don't suppose everyone knows that it's your sister I'm dating?" Hermione asked severely.

Percy stilled for a moment, looking hard at Hermione. When he spoke, he broke their eye contact and cast his gaze absently down the table.

"I have nothing to do with her."

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Hermione said in a harsh tone.

She was so upset over his comment, the situation, everything, that she could feel herself starting to tear up. She glanced down at her food in an effort to hide her wet eyes from her colleagues.

"A girl?" Another official asked from across the table.

Hermione looked up and he continued his questioning, but directed it to the woman next to him.

"Didn't one of the girls in the Obliviator Headquarters have a relationship with another girl?"

The woman seemed to ponder the suggestion for a moment before speaking. "Right. She hasn't worked here in ages," she shrugged.

"Oh right," he said with a nod.

"Yes, she quit," the woman explained.

"She was sort of," another man chimed in as he glanced around before mumbling, "pushed out...wasn't she?"

"Quiet," the woman said as she glanced down the table, presumably towards the French Minister.

The retelling continued on in hushed voices, and Hermione tried to digest the information they were relaying. She fiercely ignored the way Percy was watching her, probably laughing at her. She'd love to wipe that smirk off of his face - she'd relish the opportunity to. However, she was thankful that the officials were caught up in the story of this former Ministry employee and had supposedly forgotten about her. She had to think of a way out of here.

"Come with me."

Hermione gasped slightly as Ms. Blake's quiet voice cut through her ponderings. She turned to look at the woman and was well aware that she likely had a great amount of fear in her eyes. Ms. Blake just gave a slight gesture with her head towards the halls. Hermione found herself too unsure to move, but when Ms. Blake rose from her seat, she found herself doing the same. Thankfully, their dinner companions still seemed consumed by their prior conversation that they barely heeded any attention to them as they left. Hermione still refused to look at Percy.

Wordlessly, Hermione followed the older woman away from the chatter at the dinner table and down an empty corridor. When they came to a stop, the voices of their colleagues were a mere buzz in the distance. The lighting was insufficient where they stood and there was more dark than light - it gave Hermione the shivers.

Hermione stood and awaited her punishment. She felt like she was going to be punished anyway. Ms. Blake slowly turned around to face Hermione, her expression not letting on how she felt about this development.

"Are you alright?" Ms. Blake asked, her voice softer than before . As if on cue, Hermione sniffled, before closing her eyes for a few seconds in an attempt to regain her composure.

"I'm fine," she answered, though her voice was far from sure.

"He's a bit of a prat, isn't he?" Ms. Blake said as her eyes looked past Hermione and towards the dinner table far off down the hall. Hermione didn't quite trust herself to reply and she didn't even know what to say. She hated Percy right now, but she didn't think Ms. Blake was the proper sounding board for such an outburst.

"I suppose I should've guessed," Ms. Blake said with a hint of a smirk. "May I?" She asked, though she was already reaching towards Hermione.

The brunette resisted the urge to move back as Ms. Blake's hand came forward and grasped at the thin, gold chain around Hermione's neck and pulled it up enough to reveal the ring that had been concealed by her dress.

"It's gorgeous," Ms. Blake stated in a bit of a drawl. She glanced up at Hermione and gave her a light smile.

"We're not engaged," Hermione repeated with a nervous laugh.

"None of my business, really," the blonde admitted with a shrug as she let the necklace drop from her fingertips and moved back.

Before Hermione could begin to feel comfortable, Ms. Blake gave her a bit of a grin and went on.

"Though I'm dying to know more."

Hermione glanced around nervously before looking back to Ms. Blake. "Well, what would you like to know?" She asked tentatively.

"Was she who you had to see a few weeks back?"

A blush quickly rose to Hermione's cheeks and she gave a nod.

"She was really hurt - there was an accident. I had to see her," she explained.

Ms. Blake nodded her understanding. "That's sweet of you. Glad she was fine," Ms. Blake commented. The brunette gave her a weak smile.

"So, tell me more about this charming young woman," Ms. Blake said with a gesture of her hand. "Percy's sister, hm?" The look Ms. Blake gave Hermione was one of amused disbelief. "Are they alike?"

Hermione nearly laughed, but she caught herself and cleared her throat.

"No, not at all alike. Ginny's very intelligent, but she's much more easy going and fun."

Ms. Blake smiled. "That's probably a blessing." Hermione had to chuckle.

"Yes, I believe so."

"Well, what else?" Ms. Blake asked again.

Hermione frowned in contemplation, not too sure what she wanted to disclose to her superior, though so far Ms. Blake seemed understanding and supportive.

"Well, she goes to Hogwarts," Hermione said and saw no initial reaction from Ms. Blake.

When Hermione didn't speak further, the blonde let out a bit of an impatient sigh and said, "So? What does she want to do after Hogwarts?"

Hermione struggled with her inner desire for privacy, but another part of her felt relieved that Ms. Blake was positively interested. "She wants to play quidditch - hopefully for the Holyhead Harpies."

The older woman nodded her head, a faint smirk forming on her lips. "Ah, a quidditch player," she teased. "So how long have you been together?"

"About a year and a half."

"That's nice. Do you see it going further?" Ms. Blake asked with an innocent look on her face.

"Yes," Hermione replied without any hesitation. "I do."

"And you planning to stay with the Ministry?" Ms. Blake asked, now a hint of her opinion shining through.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Hermione asked.

For the first time that Hermione could recall, Ms. Blake seemed concerned about how to approach the topic at hand. She paused briefly and eyed Hermione with a bit of apprehension shadowed by warmth.

"I've been with the Ministry long enough to come across other stories like the one they were talking about out there," Ms. Blake announced with a nod down the hall. "I've seen things like this ruin careers-"

"I don't care what any of them think," Hermione asserted as she struggled to control her temper, but found herself slipping regardless. "Who I date has nothing to do with the quality of my work. You know I'm capable!" She nearly shouted and found herself pointing in accusation at Ms. Blake before she could stop herself.

Ms. Blake put out a hand and gently pushed Hermione's outreached hand down.

"I'm aware of how capable you are," Ms. Blake admitted nonchalantly. She made eye contact with Hermione, her blue eyes soft and her usual mild amusement nonexistent. "I was about to say...until you interrupted me...that despite everything, **you** could probably get past this because of your exceptional work," she emphasized. "You may experience a bit negativity from some, but I imagine you'd fare better than that other Ministry worker. You're already in good standing with several high-ranking officials, the Minister included. At the very least, the Minister has made it clear to me that he doesn't want to lose you. In addition, the Ministry overall has become more progressive and inclusive."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said quietly, feeling guilty for exploding at her superior the way that she did. If being outed so publicly wasn't a career-limiting move, then yelling at one of the highest-ranking Ministry officials from Britain would probably suffice. "That's very flattering, though I hardly feel I deserve it - especially right now," she offered.

"Don't worry, I know you're upset right now," Ms. Blake responded with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Although, I must comment again on your work ethic - with the hours and dedication that you've put in, I wouldn't have guessed that you were seeing anyone. Ginny's supportive, I take it?"

"Yes, very much so," Hermione replied with a bit of a coy smile, feeling suddenly bashful over the thought of how supportive Ginny actually was. "I'm very lucky."

"That's excellent," Ms. Blake said. "Quidditch players are typically known to be great fun, and of course they're revered in a sense, but usually they can't be bothered with this bureaucratic 'nonsense'," she continued with a sly grin. "It's very rare for serious Ministry employees to marry Quidditch players. Scandals and such, as tantalizing as they may be, create unnecessary political waves, and Quidditch players do have a habit of attracting such things."

"Well, I don't care about who 'serious' Ministry employees marry," Hermione proclaimed with a bit more severity than intended, nearly instantly forfeiting her previous remorse for yelling at her boss. "And Ginny's not like that at all."

"Please understand that all of this doesn't reflect my personal opinion," Ms. Blake explained patiently. "I fully believe you, and thank goodness, too. The last thing we need right now is a scandal to give the French Ministry or whoever else something to hold over our heads."

"That won't be a problem," Hermione promised.

"Good to hear," Ms. Blake chuckled. "Listen, I hope I haven't upset you. You're a very intelligent young woman and can make decisions for yourself, I'm well aware," she said gently. "If Ginny's good to you and supports you, then I'm happy for you. The Ministry can be a vicious place," Ms. Blake said with a rueful smirk. "Good support is necessary."

Hermione continued to stare a bit scrutinizing at Ms. Blake, but eventually dropped her defenses. "Thank you, Ms. Blake."

"Come, now," the older woman said warmly, as she placed an arm around Hermione's shoulder and ushered her back towards the dining area. "We have a party to enjoy."

* * *

Hermione huffed in frustration as she set her ring down on the floor of her living room and tried to reach Ginny. The brunette gritted her teeth together as she clutched today's newspaper tightly in her hand. She had tried last night the second she had gotten home, but Ginny was unavailable. Forcing herself to not be upset with the girl, Hermione reasoned that it was quite late and Ginny was likely asleep, also it wasn't Ginny that she was mad at, she was just furious about the events at the Christmas party.

"Crookshanks, stop," Hermione snapped as he pressed up against her. "Honestly, what's been with you lately?"

He hopped up onto the couch and began pacing back and forth, eyeing her.

"The vet says you're fine," Hermione said wearily. "I don't understand." She threw her arms down to her side and huffed. "Just a little longer and we'll be back home, okay?"

"Hello?"

Hermione whipped around to come face to face with a very groggy looking Ginny. She was still in her pyjamas and apparently hiding, crouched in a corner somewhere again. Hermione felt a rush of guilt over being so demanding, but right now she **really** needed to speak with Ginny.

"Look at this," Hermione said hurriedly as she thrust the newspaper into view and displayed the article she had just read.

The redhead rubbed her eyes and blinked several times as she leaned in toward the paper. She stared at it with what looked like a great deal of effort for several moments before her eyes finally went wide and her mouth fell open.

"What the-"

"I know!" Hermione exploded as she dropped the paper back down her side with such force that when it hit the side of her leg, the sound reverberated across her flat. "I'm going to kill Percy. I'll do it myself. And I won't need magic to do it."

"That bloody-" Ginny started before she pursed her lips, and held her breath, her eyes darting around in anger. "I should've known he'd do something outrageously stupid. I don't even know the full story, but no, you're not going to kill him, **I'm ** going to kill him. You can watch if you like."

Despite the fact that Ginny was making a vague attempt to make Hermione laugh, the brunette found herself nearly crying. "It's all over the papers, Gin," she said in a frail voice.

"I know," Ginny's voice was thick with sympathy. She fidgeted and looked at Hermione with great concern. "What can I do? How can I help?"

Hermione let out a heavy sigh. "Nothing. There's nothing either of us can do," she admitted as she gave a faint shake of her head and brought up the article again to glance at it.

"What does the rest say? I didn't get a chance to read it all," Ginny asked tentatively.

Another sigh escaped Hermione's mouth. "It's not entirely bad. It makes a ridiculous claim at the end about whether I'll be able to control myself or if I'll fall into the same 'trappings' as a previous French Ministry employee who was involved in some scandal supposedly. Outside of that though...it could be worse. I just hate that everyone knows now."

Hermione examined the article for what had to be the fifth time in the past five minutes. The article mentioned Hermione by name and said that she was attempting to liberate the house-elves despite facing many struggles of her own being a lesbian witch. Then it went into the story about a female French Ministry employee that Hermione can only assume was the girl they were speaking of last night at the table. Apparently she had crossed a few lines with another female employee or two - an unwelcome crossing of the line. According to the article, the woman blamed her behaviour on the fact that these other two girls were veela, but not surprisingly, that didn't sit well with the French authorities. The closing comments of the article were regarding whether Hermione could stay focused on her career or if she'd be 'side-tracked'. However, at least there was a note about how dedicated she was to the house-elf initiative, so that was better than what they could've wrote otherwise.

Hermione didn't believe a word of this rubbish, but ultimately the damage was done. Now everyone not only at the Ministry knew about her, but all over France. And she had to admit that this article would probably reach England as well. How could it not? So much for being judged by her work alone.

"I'm so sorry, Mione," Ginny said, causing Hermione to look up. "I don't know what to say. I guess it could've been worse...but, what happened?" She asked bewildered. "How did this all come about?"

"Percy," Hermione spat. "Ms. Blake was complimenting my work and he said that you and I were engaged. And this is while we were all seated at the dinner table. At least 8 people heard right then and there," she exclaimed.

"We're engaged?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide and bright.

"Gin!" Hermione nearly yelled as she stomped her foot. "Sorry," she said quietly. "But now's not the right time."

"Sorry," Ginny replied sheepishly as she blushed. "Go on. How'd everyone react?"

"I don't know," Hermione said exasperatedly. "Surprised? Confused? They started telling the story about this girl," she held up the paper, "but it was a slightly different retelling than what the paper indicates. Apparently she was pushed out by upper authorities."

Ginny looked nervous. "That's not good..."

"No," Hermione shook her head. "And then I had a bizarre conversation with Ms. Blake. She took me aside and she...," the older girl trailed off as she recalled Ms. Blake's words. She still didn't know how she felt about their little chat.

"What happened?" Ginny prompted.

"She," Hermione started and sighed, slouching momentarily before straightening back up. "She was nice, but she still warned me a bit about how things are in the Ministry and she specifically said that a scandal was the last thing this project needed."

Ginny looked on at the brunette, seemingly unsure of what to say.

"I don't know, Gin," Hermione sighed as she moved over to the couch and sat down. "And I'm so tired," Hermione complained as she settled in and ran a hand through her unruly hair. "God, I've been exhausted the past while already and now this? I must've had the most restless sleep because I feel absolutely drained."

"Mione," Ginny said as she reached forward, though they both know she couldn't reach her. Hermione glanced over at the redhead, and moved off the couch and onto the floor so she could sit close to Ginny. Even though it was just a picture of her, it felt comforting to even pretend to be near her.

"Mione," Ginny repeated as she reached out again to nearly caress the side of Hermione's face. The brunette closed her eyes and imagined the feel of Ginny's warm hand upon her cheek.

"I know this is really hard," Ginny went on, "but you get to go on holidays very soon. It'll take some time, but this will blow over. And you're amazing at what you do, nobody can criticize your work, so you shouldn't worry. They can't get rid of you for this, they can't afford to! You're the best person on the team," Ginny asserted.

Hermione scoffed despite appreciating Ginny's words and effort. "Well, if that's the case, then the Minister might be very happy to get rid of me. That would hinder the project quite nicely."

"Stop that," Ginny chided. "You'll be fine. You're just all worked up because of the rubbish Percy put in your head last Christmas and the story about that girl."

After brief reflection over Ginny's words, Hermione had to give a slow nod of her head. Ginny did have a point.

"You're right. Thank you, Gin. You're so incredible."

"Why? Cause I can actually come up with a logical thought every now and then?" The redhead asked with a wry grin.

"No," Hermione retorted as she pretended to tickle Ginny, still drawing a laugh out of her. "You're incredible because you always help me, and yes, you're oddly reasonable sometimes," she smiled.

"And I'm so incredible that you want to be engaged to me, right?" Ginny asked with a waggle of her eyebrows and a cheeky grin.

"Gin," Hermione stated with a bit of a weary, yet apologetic, look.

"Hey, you're the one who gave us the rings," Ginny pouted.

"I know," the brunette relented. She made a conscientious effort to tread carefully and not trample Ginny's feelings. "And they are a promise, but we're not officially engaged...yet. Someday." She smiled quietly as Ginny leaned back with a heavy sigh and rubbed her tired eyes.

"Fine," Ginny said with reluctant acceptance.

"Ginny." Hermione smiled with affection at her girlfriend, who would hopefully **someday** be her fiancée. "You're still in school and I'm just on an internship. We both need to have stable jobs before we can get married - it'd be irresponsible to do so otherwise."

The younger girl snorted a laugh as she hung her head in her hand. "Oh Mione. I'll never be short on logic and reason as long as you're around." Hermione was on the brink of feeling offended, but the notion was halted as Ginny went on tenderly. "One of the many reasons I love you. And you're right - I'll do my best to remember your reasoning during times of impatience," she smirked.

"I love you, Gin."

"I love you, too - even though you always make me wait."

**AN**: Well, I'm sure everyone hates Percy even more now :p Not exactly the type of quality time between Hermione and Ginny that everyone may have been hoping for, but it's all I can offer for the time being lol - more soon. Thank you again to everyone for reading :)


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny stifled a yawn as she trailed behind Natalie through High Street in Hogsmeade. It wasn't early by any means, really, Ginny was just still tired from staying up late the night before.

"Come **on**, Gin," her teammate said with exasperation as she turned to look at Ginny, walking backwards all the while.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shuffled her feet into a bit of a jog until she fell into step with the younger girl. The redhead gave a bit of a rueful shake of her head. Natalie had a date with Ritchie next week and she wanted buy a nice dress for it. The girl had heard that Ginny had at one point gotten a dress from the elusive corner shop, so, reluctantly, Ginny realized that it only seemed logical that she be enlisted for this task.

"Where is it?" Natalie asked as they reached the end of the road. The younger girl peered around the supposed empty roadway, looking behind the small shrubberies that lined the side wall and examining the back wall.

"Over here," Ginny chuckled as she moved towards the crack in the wall. A fleeting memory of Hermione studying this wall and quietly saying an incantation rushed through Ginny's head. She smiled at the recollection of their outing that year and even the absurd, excessive tension that had been shooting back and forth between them. How could they have not have seen it earlier?

With a lingering smile, Ginny pulled her wand out and tapped the wall, the incantation falling off her tongue. A moment later, the crack in the wall widened to reveal the glamorous dress shop inside.

"Whoa!" Ginny heard Natalie exclaim from behind and soon was pressed right up against her, half pushing her aside to look inside the store. Ginny laughed and pushed her teammate inside.

"Hello Ladies," the same woman from last time greeted them. She still looked absolutely amazing, dressed to perfection , every hair in place, and makeup flawless on her skin. She was about to continue her introduction when she narrowed her eyes slightly at Ginny. "Oh hello, I remember you. You were here with that other girl. Dark hair, curly? Ah, she was bossing you all around the store," she chuckled, causing Ginny's cheeks to redden against her will. "Not that you seemed to mind," the woman went on with a sly smile. "So, is this a new friend?" The woman asked as she cocked an eyebrow and glanced in Natalie's direction.

Ginny went rigid with appall as her gaze followed the shopkeeper's. Thankfully, Natalie wasn't even remotely aware of their conversation, as she was already lost in a rack of dresses.

"No, definitely not," Ginny stressed as she eyed the older woman.

"Hm, I figured not...just thought I'd ask. Where's the brunette? She chose very well last time," the shopkeeper said.

"She's-"

"Ginny!" Natalie called from across the store. "Come here!"

Ginny exhaled in minor embarrassment before excusing herself.

"What is it?" Ginny asked in mild exasperation as she came up behind Natalie.

"What do you think?" The girl asked in awe as she held up this, admittedly, beautiful dress.

"Looks promising," Ginny commented with a laugh at how excited Natalie seemed.

"Okay, well I need 'drop dead gorgeous' for next week...," the younger girl clarified.

"Try it on," Ginny said patiently as she gestured to the change rooms located in the back.

Without a word, Natalie ran off to the back, leaving Ginny to chuckle and shake her head. The redhead wandered around the store and examined the dresses on display. Her mind wandered back to Hermione's stunning red dress that she wore in sixth year to Slughorn's dinner party.

"_Merlin, that dress made me such a blubbering mess,_" Ginny recalled in mild amusement.

As Ginny looked through the rest of the dresses, she imagined what Hermione would look like in certain ones and the images in her mind never disappointed. When she made more money, she'd return the favour and buy Hermione a nice dress from here.

She sighed as she thought about her girlfriend. Percy better watch his back during the holidays, Ginny thought. She had a firm belief that every one of her siblings would beat the snot out of Percy for the way he outed Hermione; this belief later confirmed by letters.

Ginny had received multiple letters the following day. Each one from her brothers involved a different method of punishment for Percy and Ginny had to give credit to her siblings for how creative they all were. While it wasn't public knowledge that Percy was the prat responsible for the article that came out about Hermione, Ginny's brothers were always rather adept at finding out information that they weren't particularly supposed to know.

Ginny had also received an owl from her mom asking what happened and if they were okay. The reply Ginny sent explained some of the incident and assured her mother that they were okay, but she did exclude the portion about Percy. She didn't want to unleash that bomb through a letter - no, something like that had to be done in person. However, she was sure that her mother had already heard the fully story from someone else - there's no way all of her other brothers would be so tight-lipped about it all. If her mother did know, it did irritate Ginny that she wouldn't react more harshly towards Percy, but Ginny had to remind herself that someone had to play peacemaker, though she didn't think that Percy deserved such leniency.

Hermione and Ginny had talked a bit over the past few days and it seemed that Hermione's immediate colleagues were taking the news fine. Mr. Noirent had said that Hermione's personal life was her own and that he and the others had nothing to do with it. Mr. Higgit had apparently joked around with her, saying that a fellow named Jerold or Jerry, or something else that Ginny didn't care to remember, was devastated by the news. This all put the brunette at ease and it made Ginny feel better too, but still, Hermione should've been able to tell people in her own time and of her own accord. Now, the news was splattered across numerous countries.

Ms. Blake had apparently been none too pleased about the scandal hitting the papers, however, she did say that since there was a bit of a positive spin on the article, as in at least nothing negative was being said specifically about the project - all would be well. Still, this whole thing put Hermione in a horrible position and Ginny absolutely hated that her own brother was responsible for it.

"Gin." The redhead looked up when she heard her name. She put the dress she had been holding back onto the rack and walked to the change rooms.

"What do you think?" Natalie asked nervously as she stood outside the change room in the dress.

Ginny examined her friend briefly. She couldn't deny that the girl looked good - **quite** good.

"Regarding that whole 'drop dead gorgeous' comment you said earlier," Ginny said casually, "I don't think you have much to worry about. Ritchie's a goner as far as I'm concerned."

"Yes!" Natalie squealed before rushing back into the dressing room and closing the door behind her.

Ginny rolled her eyes once more and wandered back towards the dresses. A short while later, the girls were back out on the snowy streets of Hogsmeade, Natalie simply glowing with satisfaction from her purchase.

"Mind if we stop by the owlery?" Ginny asked as they wandered down the street.

"Sure," Natalie replied dreamily, clearly lost in her thoughts.

They walked into the owlery and Ginny purchased some blank parchment - begrudgingly, since she had so much back at the castle, but none on her - borrowed a quill and began to write.

_Hey, Love,_

_I'm in Hogsmeade right now and I was just in that lady's fancy dress shop. I kept thinking about our trip to Hogsmeade early in fifth/sixth year - it was really great (until a certain other Weasley ruined our day). And I just realized I never called you out on it, so I'm doing it now, I __**know**__ you got me that gorgeous dress. Ron spilled the beans - take it up with him. Anyway, thank you so much. It really is beautiful and the fact that you got it for me and didn't want any credit for it is just so incredibly sweet. I can't wait to see you again._

_So is everything still okay over there? Ms. Blake didn't change her opinion did she? It's not your fault that my brother is a complete prat and that article was published. Take care, okay? _

_Miss you endlessly._

_Ginny_

_PS - I hope you get some much needed, well deserved rest. I'm worried about you, you know_

Giving the letter a quick once over, Ginny folded it up and gave it to the shopkeeper who handed it off to a nearby owl.

"Okay, where now?" Ginny asked.

Natalie gave her a quiet, teasing smile, but didn't say a word about the letter. Instead she grabbed her hand and led her towards Madam Puddifoot's.

"Oh, come on," Ginny complained as she began to drag her feet.

"I just want to check it out. I've never been before and I don't want to be caught off guard next week," Natalie whined.

"Caught off guard by tea?" Ginny asked in disbelief.

"Just be a good sport, will you?" Natalie implored and gave Ginny an unimpressed look.

"Merlin," Ginny muttered. "Just for a minute, okay?"

Natalie squealed again and dragged Ginny into the shop. Immediately, Ginny's senses were overwhelmed by the excessive pink and frills and lace that littered the shop.

"Have mercy," Ginny breathed as she stumbled along behind Natalie's confident steps as she led them to a vacant table.

The redhead sat down and cowered slightly under the smothering atmosphere of the place. Her eyes wandered the shop and she saw many couples lost in their own private worlds. A blush of embarrassment crossed Ginny's cheeks as a menu popped into her hands. She glanced at the menu's few items and began to fan herself with the menu.

"Dear Nargles, it's hot in here," Ginny remarked as she continued to look on in a level of disdain at the tacky decorations.

"It's wonderful in here," Natalie sighed as a cup of tea appeared in front of her.

"You're ordering?" Ginny asked impatiently and shot a withering look at her teammate.

"Why not? We're here already, and I want to know what to suggest for Ritchie. You order the coffee," the girl ordered.

"You owe me big time. I don't want a single bludger to come anywhere near any of the chasers or Dennis next match," Ginny warned.

"You got it," Natalie promised with a cheeky grin.

As Ginny sipped her coffee, interrupted periodically by Natalie reaching across and stealing it away for a sip, the redhead thanked the powers above for being blessed with a girlfriend who would likely rather re-write all of her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s in one day than sit in a place like this. Sure, Hermione and Ginny had gone to their share of shamelessly romantic venues while in Paris, but it wasn't anything like this. They had purposely avoided this shop during their time at Hogwarts together for a reason.

After what felt like a painful lifetime, they finally drained their cups, paid their bill and were headed back to Hogwarts.

* * *

The next day, Ginny walked into the Great Hall at breakfast with Colin and they sat down with Eleanor at the Hufflepuff table. Ginny was in the midst of telling them of her painful experience with Natalie yesterday in Hogsmeade when their attention momentarily shifted towards the owls that began to fly into the Great Hall. Ginny returned her gaze to the pair in front of her and started in again to her story about Madam Puddifoot's. She was just about to tell them all about how much she hated the atmosphere when a glaringly red enveloped swooped in and stopped right in front of her face. Ginny stopped her story mid-sentence as the howler started up.

"GINNY WEASLEY," her mother's voice boomed across the Great Hall. The fork Ginny was holding clattered to her plate as she released it in surprise. The chatter around the giant room came to an abrupt stop and Ginny felt hundreds of eyes upon her. "How **dare** you betray Hermione that way! I thought I had raised you better than that, but I am sorely disappointed. I've seen you kids do a lot of stupid things, but this one takes the cake. I can't believe you! She's such a sweet, wonderful girl, and she's stood by you through so much and this is how you repay her! December 20th, you will come **straight** to King's Crossing and your father and I will be waiting and we will have a good, long chat. Try not to cause any more trouble until then."

Ginny's eyes were wider than ever, her mouth hanging open as the letter ripped itself up and fell in bits onto the table. Excited murmuring erupted around the Great Hall while Ginny stared at the pieces of the howler. She shifted her gaze up to Colin and Eleanor, still at a loss for words. They stared back at her in a level of fright.

"Wh-what was that all about?" Colin asked nervously.

Ginny absently shook her head. "I...have no idea." They were silent for a few moments longer before Ginny spoke up again, her mind beginning to feel a bit more clear. "What the-"

Just then another few letters arrived. Ginny inhaled sharply before she tentatively reached out and looked at the writing on each. The first one she picked up appeared to be from Fred and George. She growled under her breath, if they were about to give her a hard time too...

"Ginny."

The redhead looked up to see Luna standing behind Colin and Eleanor. She just looked at the blonde expectantly.

"I think you should come with me," Luna said softly as she held up a magazine briefly for Ginny to see.

Ginny snatched up her remaining letters and scrambled out from the table and walked briskly towards the doors of the hall, Luna matching her pace. As they stepped out into the corridor, Ginny wheeled around to face Luna, complete disbelief on her face and praying that Luna had an explanation for all of this. Luna wordlessly handed the magazine to her - it was open to an article. Ginny's jaw dropped as the images of the article were burned into her mind. First off, there was the headline, _"Hermione's Heartbreak"_followed by four pictures of Ginny with Natalie. One of them standing in, regrettably, intimate proximity when they were entering the dress shop, Ginny eyeing Natalie in her new dress, Natalie dragging Ginny down the street by her hand, but again, looking admittedly intimate, and one of them at Madam Puddifoot's. Ginny's mind reeled as she began to read.

The article was dripping with sympathy for Hermione as it hashed out the details of Ginny's affair. The redhead's hands were shaking with rage as she finished reading.

"Rita Skeeter," she hissed as she clutched the magazine tightly enough to crinkle the paper. "I should march down to her office, break her quill and make her eat the damned thing."

Luna gave her a reproachful, yet amused look.

"You should probably speak with Hermione before this escalates," Luna advised.

Ginny groaned. "Yeah, you're right. I'm really hoping she hasn't stumbled upon this yet. She never reads Witch Weekly, so with any luck, she won't start now."

Ginny quickly looked down at the letters she received. From the looks of things...this was likely a popular edition, she didn't anticipate she'd be so lucky as for Hermione to not have come across it. With a gulp, Ginny opened up the letter from the twins.

_Dear Little Sis,_

_We heard so many rumblings this morning about a 'riveting' article in Witches Weekly that we just had to check it out. We have to say that we are thoroughly disappointed...in ourselves, for not getting near as much tail as you while we were at Hogwarts. Well done! _

_Signed, _

_Fred & George _

_PS – we know the whole thing's rubbish  
_

"Well at least **someone** in my family knows better," Ginny grumbled. Luna gave a soft chuckle.

Ginny sighed and opened the next letter. It was from Ron. He said that he hoped the article was a joke, but to either way, watch out for Hermione...she could be a force to reckon with when she was furious.

"_No shit,_" Ginny scoffed internally as she rolled her eyes in irritation before continuing to read.

He went on to ask what the heck she had done to piss off Rita Skeeter so thoroughly. Apparently Harry was waiting for Ginny's go-ahead to put a nasty curse on the vile journalist. The thought made her smile.

The last letter she had was from Percy. When she saw his writing on the letter, her knees nearly buckled as she put two and two together. So the article was in France...and she knew he sure as Hell didn't read this magazine regularly, so the news must be everywhere...

_Ginevra,_

_It's bad enough that you've chosen this life, but now you have to inflict your poor choices upon me? This article is all over the office. I was lucky enough to not have our name mentioned in that previous article about your...girl..., but this makes every single one of us look bad. You obviously don't have any respect for those of us who would like to rise above the muck that our father has dragged our name through. Instead you seem content to bring it to a new level of shame. I, unfortunately, will have to see you at Christmas, I will be there for__** one**__ day, but after that I want nothing more to do with you. At least with this article being heavily circulated, I may not have to deal with you and Hermione together. She did not look pleased this morning. Good riddance._

_Percy_

"Ugh," Ginny said with disgust. "What a self-righteous git. Oh shit," Ginny breathed in anxiety as the last part of his letter hit home. "Hermione...I have to go, Luna. I can't talk to her through owl or through...," she trailed off, not wanting to mention their charmed rings. "I need to see her in person."

Luna gave her a nod. "I believe the twins would be quite helpful in this endeavour. Also, I believe the path into Honeydukes is open, in case you wish to exit discreetly."

"Right," Ginny nodded. "Thanks for your help, Luna. I have to go to the owlery. I'm not going to be in class, cover for me if you can," Ginny said in a rush as she took off down the corridor.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Ginny waited for Fred in Hogsmeade. She had sent an owl to the twins earlier requesting that one of them meet her there as soon as possible. She would've come sooner, but she had to give Pig time to get to Diagon Alley. She stood, somewhat concealed, in an alley off of High Street and tapped her foot impatiently. She had no idea what she was going to say to Hermione when she saw her, but she knew that this couldn't be hashed out any other way than in person.

"There you are, you little player, you."

Ginny looked over to see Fred standing at the entrance to the alley, his arms crossed and a playful grin on his face.

"Don't even start with me," Ginny sighed as she walked towards him.

"Think she believes the article?" He asked as she held out his arm to Ginny. She took it and they were pulled in a blinding rush towards Diagon Alley and landed with a pop.

"I don't know," Ginny replied as she let her hand fall from his arm and she followed him down the street.

"She's a rather smart girl, I'd assume she could see past it, but then again, she is oddly self-conscious when it comes to you," he winked. Ginny punched him in the arm.

"That is **not** what I needed to hear," Ginny seethed.

"Come on, it means she really likes you," he chuckled. Not giving Ginny a chance to respond, he said, "Okay, there's a portkey that leaves for Paris in a few minutes. It'll take you to downtown Paris. You'll be surrounded by muggles, but just follow the others that took the portkey, they work for the Ministry and they'll be going to the French Ministry."

Ginny nodded. "Okay."

"Well," Fred said as she came to a stop. "There it is, the paper cup over there," he pointed. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Ginny said. She gave a sidelong glance at her brother, "I owe you," she grumbled.

"Say my 'hello's to Hermione, if she doesn't stun you the moment she sees you. And give Percy a swift kick in the shin for me, will you?"

Ginny groaned. "You got it. Later."

Ginny approached the portkey and the few other people that were currently surrounding it. She felt completely out of place standing here next to these people in business attire and who were clearly much older than her. Well, if she had any hope of making it to Hermione without days of wandering, she'd best buddy up a couple of these employees.

"_Time to turn on that Weasley charm._"

* * *

An eventful period of time went by including navigating downtown and entering the French Ministry through a change room in the back of a small shop lining a busy street. It would've been far more difficult if it hadn't been for these two Ministry officials that seemed rather amused by her spontaneous jaunt across the sea to France.

"This is your stop," the officials announced teasingly with small smiles.

"Oh," Ginny exclaimed as she stood up straight and took a few hurried steps out of the lift. She spun around on her heel to face the pair. "Thank you so much for your help," she smiled. "You guys were great. Enjoy the rest of your day."

"You too," they laughed.

Ginny gave them a quick wave and headed down the hall and approached the woman at the desk who was already eyeing her curiously.

"Good afternoon," Ginny greeted her with a friendly smile. "I'm here to see Hermione Granger, would you be able to direct me towards her office, please?"

Ginny continued to offer the young blonde woman her most charming smile. Unfortunately, the woman didn't appear moved by the gesture. Instead, she kept her eyes locked on Ginny and slowly reached her hand to the side toward a stack of papers. Ginny watched her hand carelessly, blindly, paw through the papers until she clutched onto something and brought it forward. Ginny's stomach dropped as she saw the item in the woman's hands. The blonde looked down quickly at the magazine.

"You're Ginny," she stated in a low, dangerous voice.

"Yes...that's right," Ginny replied slowly as her gaze flitted about the room until settling back upon the blonde who eyed her darkly.

"Miss Granger will not want to see you," this Antonia woman, declared. "She's been locked up in her office all morning. She's currently in a meeting, but I think it'd be well advised for you to leave."

"Thanks for the advice," Ginny said politely, making sure to keep the edge out of her voice that threatened to seep out. "Which office is hers?" She asked casually as she peered around.

Antonia waved the article in Ginny's face indignantly. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Miss Granger is such a nice lady. She just comes to the office, works hard all day long, and goes home. She's always sweet and polite no matter how long her day has been. She deserves far better than you."

Some part of Ginny felt tempted to show this woman just how skilled she was in hexes, but for the most part, she appreciated how this woman was defending Hermione. Under different circumstances, she'd probably quite like this woman.

"Hermione's very lucky to work with someone like you," Ginny said with sincerity, as she pushed aside that alluring desire to retaliate. "I'm really glad she's being taken care of over here. I worry about her, you know?"

Antonia looked completely caught off guard, as her mouth hung open slightly before she clamped it shut. "I'm sure," she said finally in a flat voice that made Ginny grit her teeth in frustration and displeasure.

"Please," Ginny pleaded quietly as she leaned against the table, "there isn't an ounce of truth in that article. If you won't believe me, then at least let me speak with Hermione because she deserves an explanation straight from me. You have no idea how much I love her."

Antonia looked around warily before laying eyes on the redhead once more, this time her eyes much gentler, though still defiant.

"Well...I suppose. Her office is the one at the end of the hall," she announced quietly with a gesture of her hand. "The one on the left. Your brother's is on the right." Before Ginny could begin to thank the woman, Antonia narrowed her eyes once more at the younger girl and went on, "If there are any signs that you so much as **begin** to upset Miss Granger, I'll have you hauled out of here by our least-forgiving Aurors."

"Right," Ginny said with a bit of a nervous smile and a nod. Normally she would've laughed in the face of anyone who would say such a thing to her, but right now, Ginny had to admit that the she was at a bit of a disadvantage. Coming out of her thoughts, Ginny quickly offered Antonia a sweet smile. "Thank you very much, Antonia," Ginny said softly. "Have a great day. It was nice to meet you."

"Hm, yeah, you too," Antonia offered in an unconvincing voice as she followed Ginny with her gaze until the younger girl disappeared down the hall.

Ginny walked down the short hall until she reached the end. Sure enough, on the right was a door with Percy's nameplate on it, and on the left was Hermione's. It was probably an incredibly good thing that Percy's office appeared empty, because if he had been there...

Ginny shook out her head a bit as she refocused on the task at hand. She turned to face Hermione's office and butterflies stirred up into a flurry in Ginny's stomach just at the sight of Hermione's name and knowing that the room was essentially hers. After a slight pause, Ginny walked into the office. She stood just past the threshold and took in the surroundings. The office wasn't exactly spacious, but it actually wasn't bad. It was incredibly neat; that small fact making the redhead smirk fondly.

She was about to sit down when she spotted a picture frame on the side of Hermione's desk. Ginny walked around the back of Hermione's desk to pick up the picture to examine it. She smiled affectionately as she took in the sight of herself and Hermione hugging.

"She must've just put this up," Ginny mumbled quietly in awe. It made sense, now that everyone knew they were a couple there wasn't necessarily a need to hide things anymore. She sighed as she recalled exactly why she was here and that uncomfortable twinge formed in her chest. "Well, at least she didn't break the frame or set the picture on fire..."

She brought her hand up to trace along the frame. She was in the middle of getting lost in her recollections when a figure appeared in her periphery and stopped dead in their tracks. Ginny's eyes snapped up in apprehension as she saw Hermione standing there with an arm full of folders held up against her side. She just stared at Ginny.

Ginny hurriedly set down the picture and stepped out from behind the desk. "Hermione, I-"

Her explanation was cut short as the door slammed shut.

**AN**: Well, our dynamic duo is finally reunited! Perhaps not in the best of ways, but still, together again lol. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! Thank you again to everyone for staying tuned :)


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny braced herself as Hermione swiftly strode towards her. The brunette carelessly threw her files down on the desk and Ginny took a step back out of instinct. Surprise flooded her system as Hermione threw her arms around her.

"Oh Gin," Hermione breathed as she hugged the redhead tight against her body.

Ginny stumbled over her words as her arms automatically came up to wrap around the brunette.

"I'm so glad you're here," Hermione said as she planted a kiss on Ginny's cheek before she pulled back enough to look the younger girl in the eye. The brunette's expression was warm and her eyes even looked a bit watery - both things that Ginny had not been expecting.

"...What?" Ginny stared into Hermione's eyes to find that the girl was oddly puzzled by the question.

"So," Ginny started once more, as her mind struggled to comprehend Hermione's behaviour. Ginny had run through multiple different scenarios in her mind and had planned different responses for each, but in none of those scenarios did she anticipate Hermione welcoming her with open arms. "So, I guess this means you know the article is complete rubbish?"

Hermione brought her hands down to rest on Ginny's arms and laughed lightly. "Rita Skeeter wrote the article. I wouldn't believe a thing that wretched woman says. Even if she told me the earth was round, I wouldn't believe her."

"Well, Merlin! Why'd you slam the door like that?" Ginny exclaimed, her voice rising much higher than usual. "I thought you were going to nail me with a curse or something. And geez, your receptionist is going to call the Aurors on me, now," she complained.

Hermione simply chuckled and leaned in to lay a placating kiss on Ginny's cheek. "Don't be silly, she's not going to call the Aurors on you. She offered on my way in," Hermione made sure to point out with a smirk, "but I told her not to. And I slammed the door because I was excited - I got a little carried away. I've missed you..."

Though Ginny was elated, she couldn't help but glower just a little bit at how this whole situation nearly gave her a heart-attack, but Hermione seemed uncharacteristically carefree. Her mild displeasure must've been observable, because before she knew it, Hermione was pulling her into a hug again and whispering in her ear, "Don't be mad, Gin."

"I'm not mad," Ginny found herself nearly pouting. "But...you're okay? You're not mad at me?" She asked, feeling like she should know by this point that the brunette clearly wasn't upset, but still felt hesitant in asking for confirmation.

"Of course not," Hermione shrugged.

Ginny let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness. I was so worried. Mum sent me a howler, screaming at me for betraying you - I had no idea what she was talking about. Then I got letters from the twins, Ron, and even Percy," her strong dislike for Percy coming out as she said his name, and from the look on Hermione's face, the brunette shared her sentiment. "Luna showed me the article and I came here as soon as I could."

"Yes, I guess I should ask, how did you get here?" Hermione asked as she frowned slightly.

"Long story," Ginny replied with a roll of her eyes to cover up her self-satisfied smirk. "But one escape, one apparition, one portkey, one kind pair of Ministry employees, and one over-protective colleague later, here I am."

Hermione's frown deepened as her mind tried to process Ginny's grand journey from Hogwarts to the French Ministry. She opened her mouth to speak once, briefly closed it, then finally spoke a moment later, "So you missed class?"

"Uh," Ginny stuttered, not expecting that question. "Yeah...I guess I did."

Hermione released Ginny from their lingering embrace and gave her an unimpressed look, coupled with her arms so-typically crossed against her chest. "Ginny."

"You're not Head Girl anymore," Ginny teased. "Someone will take notes for me, don't worry."

"That's not the point," Hermione stressed.

"Hello!" Ginny exclaimed quietly. "A false article about me cheating on you came out and I came hundreds of miles to see you to make sure you heard the facts from me, and you're concerned about me skipping classes?" Despite how ridiculous Ginny found Hermione's response, she did have to laugh.

"Well, I guess you have a point," Hermione conceded, though her frown still remained. "You know how I feel about school, and I was momentarily distracted by that," she explained before a smile crossed her face. "But honestly, I think you're the most amazing girlfriend ever for going through all that trouble to make sure I was okay."

Hermione closed the space between them once more and laced her arms around the back of Ginny's neck, pulling her into a kiss. After a few soft, tender kisses, Hermione pulled back once more, bringing one arm out from behind Ginny to gently run her thumb along the redhead's lip, examining it. "I'm so lucky to have you," she whispered.

Ginny's face already felt flushed from the kissing, but Hermione's mannerisms and words made the heat in Ginny's face and chest grow. "You know it's the other way around," Ginny smirked as she leaned her head against Hermione's. Ginny ignored her girlfriend's look of protest and instead changed the topic. "So, is Ms. Blake furious over this? I can't believe this whole thing, I'm so sorry."

Hermione sighed as she placed her arms around the back of Ginny's neck once more before replying. "Well, she's not impressed, bu-"

Suddenly the door swung open, only then, followed by a knock. Ginny leapt out of Hermione's arms and Hermione pulled back just the same, both looked in alarm to the figure in the doorway.

"Ms. Blake!" Hermione exclaimed. "I-I," Hermione stuttered in such a way that it made Ginny panic furthermore, already panicked by the intrusion and then finding out that this was the Ms. Blake she'd heard so much about.

"Ohhh," Ms. Blake smiled amusedly as she stepped into the office and swung the door closed enough to prevent any prying eyes from peeking in, but not enough for it to click shut. "So, you must be the famous Ginny," the blonde woman said as she approached with her hand held out. "I recognize you from the article," she said in a bit of a teasing voice that Ginny didn't fancy at all, but she shook the woman's hand nevertheless.

"Yes," Hermione cut in. "This is Ginny," she paused, "my girlfriend."

"So I saw," the Ms. Blake commented in a light voice. "Pleased to finally meet you, dear."

"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Blake," Ginny reciprocated and offered her a smile.

"I take it you two made up already? Quick work, I'm impressed. Efficient in all ways, Hermione," Ms. Blake laughed.

Ginny blushed and saw her girlfriend doing the same.

Hermione cleared her throat and spoke, "Well, none of the allegations were true, so," she trailed off, but looked Ms. Blake in the eye with just a hint of defiance.

"Nice excuse for a secret rendezvous," Ms. Blake noted with a sly smile. "Rita Skeeter really must be short on stories for her to be publishing stuff like that rubbish." Ms. Blake gave them a discrete nod of her head and turned her attention to Hermione. "I'll leave you two, give you a bit of privacy, but afterwards I need to see you about Section 21.4."

"Yes, Ms. Blake. I'll be right by," Hermione assured with a nod.

"No rush, enjoy yourselves," the older woman said with a dismissive wave. Ginny eyed Ms. Blake and thought she saw a glint in her eye. "Again, nice to meet you Miss Weasley. Glad to hear you're being good to our little Hermione, here. Take care, now."

With that she exited the room and closed the door. Both girls exhaled loudly.

"Oh sweet Merlin," Ginny whispered harshly. "**That's** Ms. Blake? I don't like her," Ginny stated.

"Shh," Hermione said as she ushered Ginny towards the back of the office. "She might hear you," Hermione whispered while giving Ginny a stern look.

"Fine, I don't care," Ginny said as she looked past Hermione to the door.

"She was nice to you, Gin," Hermione stressed. "She probably could've fired me for all the bad publicity I'm suddenly bringing upon the team, but she hasn't **and** she could've had you escorted out, but she didn't."

"I just don't like her," Ginny glowered. "The way she was smirking – it was like she was laughing at us. I can see why nobody likes her."

Hermione sighed and glanced over her shoulder at the closed door. "Gin, come on, she wasn't that bad. She can be a bit off-putting, but she's okay."

A scoff escaped Ginny's mouth as she crossed her arms. "Is she always like that?"

Hermione seemed to ponder the question for a moment before answering, "I guess..."

Ginny was about to comment further when she caught the look on Hermione's face that indicated that something else was brewing in the back of the brunette's mind. "What is it?" She gently prompted.

Hermione sighed and her eyes flitted about under they settled on Ginny again.

"Well, after she first found out that I was dating a girl, she, well, she I guess you could say 'warned' me in a way about...dating quidditch players. She mentioned scandals specifically."

"What!" Ginny snapped, making an honest effort to keep her voice down, but Hermione gave her a look of warning anyhow. "Maybe she's behind the article."

"I highly doubt that," Hermione said as she eyed Ginny sceptically. "Rita Skeeter's had it out for me for years. And Ms. Blake is much too busy to be bothered with trivial things like this. And **she's** the one who, next to me, deals with the most backlash over these articles - why would she want to bring that upon herself?"

The redhead sighed in relent, though she still had a bad feeling about this Ms. Blake. In a dull voice she inquired into what she probably didn't want to actually know.

"So what exactly did she say about dating quidditch players?"

Hermione instantly looked apprehensive, but forged on. "Well, that it's not...wise, for any Ministry official to marry one if they're hoping to move up. Apparently the scandals and such are not exactly conducive to a lucrative Ministry career-"

Ginny's demeanour must have abruptly changed because suddenly the brunette was urgently protesting.

"-I know it's rubbish, believe me," Hermione promised with pleading eyes. Before Ginny could give her thoughts on the matter, the brunette spoke up again, firmly. "I know that the timing is bad, but please know that I think she's full of it. I love you more than anything and I trust you completely."

Ginny was slightly appeased by Hermione's proclamation, but was still furious about the whole situation. As if she didn't feel bad enough already, still being in school while Hermione worked on this huge international government deal. And Ginny was well aware that her family wasn't the most prestigious, as people like the Malfoys had rubbed in her face time and time again. Now quidditch was being held against her? Despite some of these issues being old and some of them new, it still hurt.

"I love you," Hermione repeated, her voice soft and insistent, as her hand softly cupped the side of Ginny's face.

"I know," Ginny relented as she shifted her gaze away. "It just...pisses me off, this whole thing. I can't believe it," she muttered.

"Just ignore it, that's what I'm doing. Ms. Blake did say though that she doesn't personally have that opinion of quidditch players, but I know that doesn't make you feel any better right now. Rita Skeeter just likes to create controversy, Percy's a foul git, but none of them matter," Hermione asserted.

"Ms. Blake knows about careers, though," Ginny stated in a low voice, her eyes challenging the brunette. All of a sudden she felt like picking a fight, that knot of insecurity tugging at her again.

"Stop, it's all nonsense," Hermione argued. "For goodness sake, Ginny, there's a department within the Ministry specifically devoted to quidditch."

Ginny scoffed. "Well, you're definitely running into a lot of trouble with me around, so perhaps she has a point."

"Ginny!" Hermione cried, looking very upset and offended now.

Seeing her girlfriend this way reminded Ginny of their tumultuous relationship-friendship a couple of years back, and it hurt her even more now to see Hermione this way.

"That's complete nonsense and you know it," Hermione said firmly, her brows knitted together and her voice grew emotional. "And despite Ms. Blake's warnings, she still wishes me well."

"Perhaps you'd be better off...," Ginny started to say what her mind and body were telling her not to, and ultimately, she couldn't bring herself to finish the statement.

Hermione inhaled sharply, the wetness in her eyes becoming more apparent with each passing second. "That's not true at all. If after all this time, that's how you-"

"No, no," Ginny said as she dropped the older girl's gaze. "I'm sorry. I just- I just feel like I'm causing so many problems. I feel responsible for this whole mess. You deserve better."

Hermione's eyes flashed for a moment and Ginny wasn't entirely sure what was to come. But then, Hermione gently placed her hands on Ginny's arms. The redhead's arms nearly lifted up to pull Hermione into a hug out of habit, but she stopped herself.

"None of this is your fault," Hermione said. She was a bit calmer this time, but her voice was still thick with emotion. "And you have been so supportive, I couldn't have asked for anyone better than you."

Ginny shook her head, refusing to believe Hermione's statement. She still felt that she had caused most of these problems, even if inadvertently.

"Fine," Hermione said with a stomp of her foot, placing her hands on her hips. "When I was first introduced to this job opportunity, you could've discouraged me from coming, but you didn't. You calmed me down, you gave me confidence and you helped me think this through. When I moved here, you came with me and supported me through that. Any time I've been stressed out with work you've always been there for me, whether you helped me find a solution or just got me to laugh. On more than one occasion, you have offered to hex and/or disown your brother over his treatment of me. And today you made some grand escape from Hogwarts to ensure that I wasn't upset by this ridiculous article. What could I possibly have to complain about regarding you?"

"Hm," Ginny mumbled, "you do know how to make me sound good."

Hermione laughed and her demeanour softened. "I'm not doing anything. I'm just listing off the facts. You are amazing, Gin, and there's no one I'd rather be with than you."

"You're making me blush," Ginny groaned and huffed in false indignation.

"Do you believe me now?" Hermione asked, her eyes shining with affection.

"Yes, yes," Ginny conceded and opened her arms to the brunette who readily stepped into the hug. Ginny gave Hermione a quick kiss on the side of her head and spoke, "And I'm only like this for you. Remember that."

Hermione pulled back and sighed dramatically, "And I feel so terrible for all those other girls."

Ginny smirked. "I don't know. After that article, a lot of the girls looked unimpressed with me."

"Good," Hermione nodded decisively. "Less girls I need to hex."

"Hexing's my thing. Get your own means of punishment."

"Gin," Hermione teased.

"But back to what originally caused this whole disaster, I still don't understand how Rita Skeeter found out any of that stuff or got those photos."

"She's an Animagus – an unregistered one at that," Hermione stated, looking displeased. "And soon to be reported to the Ministry."

"Wha-how do you know this?" Ginny asked.

"Fourth year, during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, I dug up some dirt on her after she published that nasty article about me toying with Harry and Victor. She's had it out for me from the start, but I guess she decided that I'm no longer a threat and thought it safe to slander you. She guessed wrong."

Ginny smiled at the fire in Hermione's dark eyes, but decided she should step in. "So, are you sure that's wise? What if she retaliates?"

"What else could she possibly write? I've already been outed as a lesbian, she's published some insane article about my girlfriend cheating on me." Hermione held her hands out in question.

"I don't know, but it's Rita Skeeter, I wouldn't doubt her...craftiness," Ginny warned. "She will find something."

"Well I nearly put her into bankruptcy last time I threatened her, so if she did have power to turn on me, I imagine she would've done it back then," Hermione reasoned.

"Maybe," Ginny responded slowly. "But a lot has changed since then, you have more going on now and she will make sure she finds something, even if it's false. Perhaps now isn't a good time to trigger more controversy," she cautioned further.

"Ugh," Hermione voiced, her mannerisms clearly depicting that the whole thing perturbed her. She shook her head before continuing her thought, "Well, I can't just let her get away with it. Perhaps another threat is in order then, rather than just reporting her. I'll have to think about it," she said hurriedly before checking her watch. "Well, I hate to do this, but I should probably go see Ms. Blake now. How are you getting back to Hogwarts?"

Ginny's brows furrowed in contemplation. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead."

The brunette hung her head in her hand. "Oh Ginny." She went to her desk to pick up a folder. "I'll ask Antonia to bring you to the floo network. Floo to my flat. I'll try to wrap up here as quickly as possible. I'll also ask Antonia to locate a portkey for you. We'll have you back to school before tomorrow's classes."

"My hero," Ginny said sarcastically, though flashed Hermione a thankful smile.

"Shush, you," Hermione warned. She walked towards the door and grasped the handle, turning to face Ginny before opening it. "I love you," she said as she planted a short kiss on the younger girl's lips. "I'll see you tonight."

* * *

That evening Ginny lay on the couch with Crookshanks on her stomach, him swatting at her hands as she flitted them about his head. The fireplace roared and Crookshanks hopped down to stand a few feet from the growing flames in anticipation of his master's arrival.

Hermione appeared in a flash and stepped out of the fireplace. The look on her face told Ginny that her remaining time at the office hadn't been entirely positive. Ginny sat up and waited patiently for Hermione to take off her shoes and jacket. Hermione tossed her briefcase down and strode over to the couch and practically fell into it next to Ginny. She linked her arm with Ginny's and leaned her head on the younger girl's shoulder.

"Rough afternoon?" Ginny ventured.

"Just long," Hermione replied as she closed her eyes and nestled in closer to Ginny.

"Did you want dinner? I can make us something," Ginny offered. Hermione shook her head.

"No," she replied slowly. "I just want to rest."

"Are you alright?" Ginny asked, concern enveloping her voice. She brought her free hand up to rest on her girlfriend's forehead. "You feel okay...," she stated. "But you've been so tired recently. Maybe you're coming down with something. You should see a mediwizard."

"I'm fine, Gin," Hermione laughed, though her eyes still didn't open. "I'm just so worn down with all the long hours and my mind's constantly going; I'm just not sleeping well enough. It'll be better after the holidays. I'll feel loads better then."

Ginny was sceptical of Hermione's theory, but at the same time, she had to admit that it was plausible. The girl had been working so hard and with this project so close to her heart, Ginny didn't doubt that work was still on her mind even in sleep.

"Okay," Ginny relented. "But if you're still like this after the holidays, I want you to see a mediwizard."

The brunette tilted her head and planted a soft kiss on Ginny's shoulder. "Yes, dear."

"So did Ms. Blake say anything else about me being there?" Ginny asked as she kissed the top of Hermione's soft brown hair.

The older girl gave a bit of a laugh and lifted her head off of Ginny's shoulder.

"Her and I did chat a little," Hermione told her, now looking a bit contemplative. "She said that you were 'charming'," she relayed with a playful look. "And she guessed that you're rather protective of me," she smirked furthermore.

"Good, then she can back off," Ginny remarked.

Hermione chuckled. "Back off, how?"

"I don't know yet, but I just don't like her," Ginny asserted.

"So you've told me," the brunette said dryly. She sighed once more and buried her head in the crook of Ginny's neck, curling up against the redhead again. "She told me that the French Ministry officials were really not impressed about all of this, but she's done some damage control."

A huff of displeasure escaped Ginny's mouth and she resisted the urge grit her teeth. "Well, I guess that's **one** decent thing she did." She felt Hermione laugh against her neck.

A few moments passed and Ginny untangled herself from Hermione and rose from the couch. "Sure you don't want dinner?" She teased lightly.

A reluctant smile eventually formed on the brunette's face. "I guess I am a little hungry."

"That's my girl," Ginny smiled.

**AN**: See? Nothing to worry about - Hermione knew better lol. Next chapter - Christmas at the Burrow! Thank you so much to everyone for your support :)


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

_**Hermione POV**_

"Glad to see you didn't dump our baby sister."

As Hermione's vision adjusted to her new surroundings, she took in the sight of George grinning at her from his seat in the living room of the Burrow.

"Yeah, we'd hate to see Ginny all dark and brooding again," Fred laughed. "Though those sorts of nasty mood swings could probably help her on the pitch come game time."

"Very funny," Hermione said dryly as she set her bag down against the wall and released Crookshanks from his carrier.

"Hermione, oh, it's so good to see you again!"

Hermione turned at the sound of her name and smiled as Mrs. Weasley walked briskly towards her, arms open in the calling card of a Weasley matriarch hug.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione greeted as she hugged the older woman, laughing as Mrs. Weasley hugged her back with enthusiasm bordering on ferocious.

"Oh goodness, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as she pulled back. Her voice and her eyes laced with worry. "Have you been sleeping well? Eating? You look so tired."

A self-conscious laugh bubbled up Hermione's throat and she smiled at Ginny's mom. "I've been under a bit of a stress, but I'm fine, really. I think this time off will do me good."

Mrs. Weasley gave a decisive nod, seemingly satiated with the girl's response. "Well, anything you need, you let me know, you hear?" The woman said as she pointed a finger in Hermione's face.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied with a bit of forced patience.

The older woman placed a gentle hand on the brunette's arm and coaxed her to the side of the room, supposedly away from prying eyes. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, hardly above a whisper.

"I would like to apologize for all the trouble Percy has caused you." Her eyes dropped from Hermione's for a split second before coming up only partway to settle on the wall behind the brunette. "Frankly, I don't know what's wrong with that boy. We tried to raise him to be good, and kind, and well, anyway, that's besides the point." She locked eyes with Hermione again, her voice stronger this time. "Point is, I'm very sorry. I hope things haven't been too horrible. And I did apologize to Ginny for sending her that snap howler that one day...I probably should've been a bit more scrutinizing of the article."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione assured her as she gave Ginny's mom a firm look, her eyes sincere. "I had to come out at some point. True, this was a bit unexpected, but in all honesty, the reaction hasn't been that bad. And Ginny and I got through Rita Skeeter's meddling just fine, so no need to apologize. You're not responsible for Percy's actions."

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said, a watery smile forming on her face and she abruptly pulled the younger girl into another hug. "I'm so glad you and Ginny are together." Mrs. Weasley released Hermione and clasped her hands together in a sort of very pleased, satisfied way before saying, "Ginny's up in her room. She's been talking about your arrival all day. Go on up and see her, then."

"Thank you," Hermione smiled, trying her best to not let her amusement shine through. "It's really good to see you again, Mrs. Weasley. Thanks again for letting me stay."

"Oh for Heaven's sake, you're family. And it's really good to see you too, dear. Rest up," Mrs. Weasley called as Hermione grabbed her bag and headed for the stairs.

"Boys," Hermione said in a flat voice as she eyed the twins in a haughty matter, giving them the slightest nod.

"Bye Hermione," they said in unison, dragging the phrase out in their typical, teasing manner as they grinned cheekily at her. She flashed them a smirk before disappearing up the steps.

The brunette ascended the stairs until she reached Ginny's room - the door closed. She contemplated knocking, but decided she'd rather surprise the redhead. A breath later, Hermione swung open Ginny's door and stepped inside. She caught sight of Ginny laying in bed, sleeping peacefully on her side, her back to the door.

The brunette stilled her movements and slowly, carefully set her bag down by the door. With soft steps, Hermione approached her girlfriend and leaned over her sleeping form to study her. She reached out a hand and before she knew it she was letting out a high pitched screech as she was unsuspectingly grabbed and flipped onto her back. By the time she blinked, she was enclosed by a mane of red hair draping down from above her.

"Jesus, Gin," she breathed, only then noticing that her hands were pinned down on either side of her head by the younger girl who was now straddling her waist.

"Hello, gorgeous," Ginny grinned, her seductively low voice. "Geez, I thought I was going to have to sleep all by my lonesome tonight."

The brunette exhaled in a mixture of exasperation and frustration. "Wh-what are you doing? Come on, let me up."

"What do you **think**, I'm doing?" Ginny purred as she leaned her head down and began to lay a trail of kisses along Hermione's all-too-sensitive neck.

Between ragged breaths and a flurry of other sensations, Hermione's eyes focused on the door.

"For goodness sake, Gin, the door's wide open," she breathed.

"Well, keep quiet and we might have nothing to worry about," Ginny whispered as she began to nip at Hermione's skin in teasing bites.

Hermione bit back a moan and tried to not shift her hips under her girlfriend, knowing that would only encourage her tremendously.

"Gin, I'm serious," she said, her voice feeble as she tried valiantly to sound stern.

Ginny mumbled a knowing noise and gave a particularly leisurely nip, tugging lightly at the skin, before abruptly climbing off of Hermione and walking over to the door to close it.

Hurriedly, Hermione sat up, putting her back against the wall and her knees up. Ginny shot her a withering look that was quickly wiped away with a defiant smirk as she strode back towards the bed.

"Gin," Hermione warned as she held a finger up, "we agreed - not at your parents' house."

Ginny stood at the side of the bed with her hands set on her hips, the expression she gave the brunette was one of scrutiny.

Hermione held her hand out to her girlfriend. "Sit with me," she smiled.

The redhead rolled her eyes and came to sit on the bed next to Hermione, but not before smirking and planting a fleeting kiss on Hermione's raised knee.

Hermione smiled as Ginny settled in next to her, their arms and legs touching and they linked their hands together.

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione said as she leaned over and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek in an effort to comfort her over her dashed hopes.

"Let's just say that you owe me," the redhead teased. Hermione gave her a scandalized look. "Well, no need to worry, I have no doubt that you'll be able to satisfy my demands."

"Demands?" Hermione asked in mock outrage. Ginny just gave her a light smile and nodded. "We'll see who will be making the demands," the brunette went on as she arched an eyebrow at the younger girl.

"That sounds like a challenge," Ginny remarked as she narrowed her eyes at Hermione in rebuttal.

"Isn't it?"

Ginny gave an airy laugh. "Okay, okay." She brought her free hand over to pat Hermione's hand and inquired, "So, how was your trip over here?"

"Good," the brunette shrugged. "How were your tests?"

"They went fine. Snape tried to deduct marks from me on a question, but I pointed out that his wording was open to interpretation and he had to give me the points in the end," Ginny told her with obvious pride. Hermione was about to congratulate her and comment on how much of a bully Snape could be when Ginny cut her off. "So, was Percy still at the office when you left?"

"Yes," Hermione said, her expression now matched the suddenly solemn atmosphere between them.

"Mum said he wasn't coming until tomorrow. Just staying for Christmas dinner and then leaving again," Ginny said. She frowned as she went on, "He might as well not even bother. We'd all be better off."

Now it was Hermione's turn to caress Ginny's hand, hoping that it would sooth the girl's distress that she was trying quite hard to play down.

"It's okay, Gin. I know you're upset with him. He has different priorities than the rest of us, he'll come to his senses eventually. And like I was telling your mom when I came in, I had to come out at some point, so I guess he just expedited the process for me. It's okay now though."

Ginny grumbled in discontent and readjusted her posture so that she was lounging back a bit more. "How's your project going?"

Hermione's lips downturned slightly at Ginny's plain attempt to change the subject, but she obliged the girl and answered anyway.

"Quite well. Surprisingly well, actually. The support we've received has been phenomenal. Actually, just yesterday Mr. Noirent informed me that Beauxbatons has signed on to provide all of our necessary funding. It's," Hermione momentarily found herself at a loss for words, "it's brilliant. I'm so proud, you know? I'm so happy that these people see the injustice that has been going on and that they're willing to support change. I really was doubtful for a while there that we'd get support, but how things have turned out...it's inspiring."

"I'm happy for you," Ginny smiled. "And you should be proud, you're the backbone of this project."

Hermione scoffed. "Don't be silly. We're all doing our part." Hermione saw that Ginny was about to make a quip about Percy, but she shot her a cautioning look that made the redhead think better of it.

"Well, we should probably get some sleep," Ginny sighed. "The sooner we get to sleep, the sooner we can wake up and open presents!" Her tone much more chipper than before.

Hermione gave Ginny an admonishing look, but nodded her head as she climbed out of bed and to her bag in search of her pyjamas.

"You know, you can always just skip the whole pyjama thing-"

"Gin."

"Okay, fine."

* * *

The following evening, Hermione gently padded down the stairs as she casually tied back her just-dried hair after her shower. She was only halfway down the stairs when the escalating murmur of voices carried up the way and caught her attention - one of the voices being Ginny's. Hermione paused momentarily on the steps with her hand on the rail as she tilted her head to overhear the conversation a bit clearer. She couldn't make out any specifics from up here, but it was clear that Ginny was having a row with someone, and if Hermione was correct, it was Percy.

Continuing her descent, now at a quicker pace, Hermione only slowed to a stop when she reached the top of the final flight and could clearly hear and see the exchange. Peering down, Hermione quickly saw Ginny and Percy standing toe-to-toe staring one another down with Mrs. Weasley standing guard.

"Ginny! Don't talk to your brother that way," the matriarch scolded.

"Brother," Ginny spat. The disgust in her voice was evident and though Ginny's back was to Hermione, she could easily imagine the expression the young redhead must be wearing. "He's not my family," Ginny continued. "Family doesn't do what he did to me or Hermione. Hermione's my family, not him," she proclaimed.

"Ginny," her mother warned, or maybe it was pleading. To Hermione, it sounded like the latter. There was a brief lull in the confrontation and the brunette determined now was as good a time as any to step in.

"Gin?" Hermione called softly as she tentatively came down the last steps.

"Hey," Ginny said quietly, turning as Hermione came up and put her hand on the redhead's arm as she stood next to her.

Despite Ginny's apparent foul mood, just that small action seemed to calm her down tremendously. Hermione noted that as Ginny turned back to face Percy, the younger sibling's restored ease proved to be fleeting when she saw the look he was giving them.

"You have something to say?" She challenged.

"Nothing." His voice was nearly dripping with disdain.

"Okay, that's enough," Mrs. Weasley decided as she stepped towards the siblings and pushed them apart. "Both of you, go cool down." They both merely grumbled in reply.

"Come on, Gin," Hermione urged softly as she gently pulled her girlfriend away from Percy. Unfortunately, this second attempt to calm Ginny down didn't fare so well, because it was plain to the brunette that Ginny was positively seething. "Come on, let's go for a walk outside," Hermione suggested quietly. The fresh air would do Ginny some good.

"It's freezing out there," the redhead muttered as her eyes flickered towards Hermione and away again. Hermione inwardly sighed and put her hand on Ginny's arm once more, leaning in towards her ear and whispered, "All the more reason for you to keep me warm."

Finally, Ginny cracked a smile. "You make a good argument. How can I refuse?" She conceded.

Percy sniggered and Ginny turned in a flash to shove him, hard, sending him sprawling backward and eventually crashing against and nearly onto and over the table. He shot back up and came at Ginny, though the youngest Weasley didn't seem the slightest bit concerned. Rather, she looked eager to engage in the fight. Hermione watched in alarm as Mrs. Weasley called to them both, but was unable to physically interfere as the two siblings' limbs were now flailing as they fought. The brunette noted in the back of her mind that Mrs. Weasley was reaching to her wand, but Hermione beat her to it, and she urgently cast an invisible shield between Ginny and Percy.

Percy stumbled back and put a hand to his bleeding lip, eyeing Ginny darkly. Ginny, however, was still spitting mad and she pounded the enchanted barrier once with her fist before reluctantly backing away. Her shoulders heaved up and down as she tried to catch her breath.

"What the bloody hell is going on down here?"

Hermione, along with the others, sent a look up to Ron who now stood on the stairs. The brunette knew that her expression was still sick with worry, and Ron came down to quickly examine her before spotting the states that Ginny and Percy were in.

"Blimey, what the Hell...," he trailed off as he walked towards them.

"Ron, help me with Percy," Mrs. Weasley ordered in a curt voice. Hermione dropped the shield and Mrs. Weasley walked briskly towards Percy, wrapping an arm around him and beckoning to a confused Ron to help her bring him to the kitchen.

"Ginny," Hermione breathed softly as she came up behind her girlfriend and put her arm around her, looking to Ginny for any indication that she was hurt. It only took a glance for Hermione to determine that Ginny fared far better in the scuffle than Percy. "Are you okay?" She asked, concern shining blatantly through in her voice.

"Yeah," Ginny said in an almost resigned voice. She refused to look at Hermione.

The brunette gently rubbed Ginny's back and after a few moments Ginny turned her head away and Hermione heard an unmistakable sniffle - she knew better than to comment on it though, Ginny would just get defensive. No matter how close they were, Hermione knew that the younger girl just couldn't stand to cry. To compromise, Hermione leaned her head down and tenderly kissed Ginny's shoulder. The action sparked something in Ginny, and Hermione soon found herself enveloped in a desperate hug as Ginny clung to her. The brunette could feel Ginny bury her face in against her neck; the younger girl didn't make a sound, she didn't move, just held her.

Hermione caressed the redhead's back and planted a series of kisses on Ginny's shoulder, hoping that the gesture was what Ginny needed right now. In the other room, Hermione heard the rumblings of a verbal spat beginning between Ron and Percy. Though she hated to disturb Ginny right now, she knew that it was best if they leave.

"Want to go up to your room?" Hermione gently asked.

Ginny pulled her head back from the crook of Hermione's neck and sniffled once, rolling her eyes and wiping irritably at her nose before responding, her voice coarse. "No, outside."

"Okay," Hermione nodded. She gave a couple of flicks of her wand and her and Ginny's jackets flew into her waiting hands.

Wordlessly, she held Ginny's jacket open for her, waiting for the girl to put her arms through the sleeves. Normally, the redhead would've protested such a gesture, but tonight she complied without a fight.

Hermione shrugged her own jacket on and they headed outside. It was certainly chilly, but in all honesty, it was still better to be out here than inside with another argument starting up. They walked for a bit until they came to the small bench around the side of the house. Hermione wiped the snow off of the bench and they sat down. She took Ginny's hand and held it between her own.

"What happened, Gin?" She asked quietly, careful to not set Ginny off with her tone.

"He's a twit who can't keep his mouth shut, that's what happened," Ginny replied curtly. Hermione didn't flinch though, she knew the anger wasn't directed at her. She patiently waited for Ginny to relax a bit. Eventually, the redhead sighed heavily. "He said some stupid things about you."

Before Hermione could stop herself, she exhaled wearily. "Gin, please, I appreciate what you're doing, but it's just getting you into trouble."

"You don't know what he said," Ginny retorted as she flashed a glare at the older girl.

Hermione found herself very tempted, but decided it was best to just let it be. Perhaps she'd inquire later, but with Ginny worked up the way that she was right now, it was not the time for curiosity to win out.

"Please don't worry about it, Ginny. It doesn't matter what he thinks," Hermione stressed as she stared imploringly at her girlfriend.

After a few moments of hesitation, Ginny finally heaved a sigh and gave a resigned nod of acceptance.

"I still hate him," the redhead proclaimed defiantly as she shot Hermione a cursory glance.

Hermione didn't say anything - she didn't know what she **could** say, so she just stroked Ginny's hand. The redhead gave a tired sigh and leaned her head on Hermione's shoulder. A few minutes passed and the brunette felt Ginny shiver against her. Wordlessly, she brought out her wand and cast a warming charm upon the two of them.

A short while later, Hermione broke the silence and suggested that they go inside. Ginny didn't put up a fight and wilfully followed the brunette inside and up the stairs; both thankful that they didn't run into anyone during the small journey.

When they were settling into bed, still stuck in separate beds on opposite sides of the room, Ginny muttered, "I'm sorry, Mione. I didn't want your Christmas to be like this."

"Baby, don't be sorry," Hermione said in earnest, sitting up to look at Ginny in an effort to stress her point. "I'm just worried about you. I know you're upset."

"How can I not be?" Ginny exclaimed as she propped herself up on her elbows to look over at the older girl. Hermione just came back with an imploring look that eventually caused Ginny to exhale in frustration and let herself fall back onto the bed to stare up at the ceiling. "Fine."

Hermione was tempted to say more on the topic, but decided to just leave it at, "Thank you."

"And don't worry about me," Ginny went on. "You should be worrying about yourself. You've been so run-down the past while. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, much better already," Hermione replied with a small smile. "See? I told you - I just needed to get away from work for a bit, come home, be with you." Even in the dark, Hermione could see the smirk on Ginny's face.

"I'm glad," Ginny responded. "I was really worried about you, you know. I'd never seen you like that; even during N.E.W.T.s."

"I'm fine, Gin," Hermione assured her girlfriend. "But thank you. And even Crookshanks is doing better now, too. I really don't know what was wrong with him."

"He knew you needed a vacation - he really is a clever cat." Ginny teased. "And please take better care of yourself when you go back..."

After a moment's hesitation, Hermione swiftly threw the covers off and crossed the room while giving a couple of waves with her hands to Ginny, indicating that she needed to move. With a quiet laugh, Ginny moved to the far side of the bed and lifted the covers for the brunette to crawl under.

"Well, hello Miss Granger," Ginny winked as she brought the blanket down upon them. Hermione smiled as she felt the redhead wrap an arm around her and pull her close.

"Just for tonight," Hermione warned playfully, "just because you're upset."

Ginny kissed the top of Hermione's head and spoke quietly. "I'm not arguing."

* * *

The next morning, Hermione and the rest of the Weasley clan – Percy notably absent - were at the dining table having breakfast when an owl swooped, catching everyone's attention. Hermione watched with curiosity as Mrs. Weasley got up and approached the owl to retrieve the letter it was carrying. Even from the opposite side of the room, the brunette could recognize the Ministry's emblem on the letter.

"Hermione, it's for you," Mrs. Weasley announced as she began to walk over to the young girl to hand her the letter. She had only made it a few steps when Crookshanks appeared out of nowhere and began hissing at Mrs. Weasley, his back arched high and his fur bristling.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione snapped as she rushed out of her seat and scooped him up. Even then, he still made a fuss and never took his eyes off of Mrs. Weasley. "I'm so sorry. I think all this travel has got him agitated," Hermione apologized through an uneasy laugh as she carried Crookshanks into the next room and set him down. "Have you gone absolutely mad?" She whispered in a bit of a harsh tone to him as she stood back up. "Behave yourself," she ordered as she closed the door to the room, making sure to not let him escape.

Hermione returned to her seat and offered Mrs. Weasley an apologetic smile as she took the letter from her and turned it over in her hand to examine it before breaking the wax seal.

"Told you that cat of yours was bonkers," Ron remarked as he shovelled a forkful of food into his mouth. Normally, Hermione would've retaliated and a spirited round of banter would ensue, but right now she was actually thankful for the comment since it seemed to have sparked conversation at the table once more and gave the illusion of privacy. The conversation was as such that the small sigh that escaped Hermione as she finished reading the letter wasn't heard by any of them, other than an ever vigilant Ginny.

"What is it?" Ginny asked quietly as she leaned in and glanced down at the letter, only to hurriedly avert her gaze as Hermione looked up to catch her eye.

A knot formed in Hermione's stomach as she pondered how to deliver the news to her girlfriend. This was the last thing she wanted right now, it was so good to be with Ginny, everyone, but...duty called.

"I have to go back to Paris sooner than expected," Hermione admitted and hoped that her regret was clear in her voice and eyes. The look on Ginny's face broke Hermione's heart and her mind raced to think of a way out of Ms. Blake's request.

"Mione," Ginny nearly pleaded, her voice still quiet, but her tone urgent enough to catch the attention of everyone at the table as conversation skidded to a stop one mumble at a time.

Hermione looked out across the table at others who were now keenly watching them, and she cleared her throat before speaking. "Ms. Blake has requested that I go back to Paris tomorrow." She saw that everyone was about to start talking over one another and protest, so she quickly explained the rest. "We're in our final stage of prospecting - securing support from the most influential families, and apparently a couple of them have asked to speak with me specifically...," she trailed off, pondering how unlikely it seemed and wasn't sure quite yet whether to be flattered, intimidated, or even sceptical. "Anyway, they're hoping to meet first thing on Wednesday. I need to go back and prepare with Ms. Blake and Mr. Noirent."

"That's outrageous. That's so inconsiderate of them. Honestly, don't they know it's the holidays? How could anything be that pressing?" Mrs. Weasley cut in with a displeased huff. "Do you know if Percy has to go?"

"I'm afraid I don't," Hermione replied as she scanned the letter once more. "I would imagine so, though."

"They're running you absolutely ragged over there," Mrs. Weasley added as she began to busy herself around the table like she usually did when she was upset. "It's not fair. And you know, I'm not certain that they have Percy working quite as much as you. Dear, you were just starting to look more rested. I think I speak for all of us when I say we're worried about you."

"I appreciate your concern," Hermione accepted with a blush and tried to keep her tone affable - she was just getting sick of everyone telling her how worried they were. "Everyone's been working hard, Percy included."

"Are you sure you have to go?" Mrs. Weasley asked once more. Hermione glanced as discretely as possible over at Ginny, who had been oddly quiet during the past leg of the conversation. Just that flickering glance told Hermione that Ginny was clearly disappointed, but trying hard to appear neutral. The sight made Hermione want to put her hand on her girlfriend's leg, kiss her cheek, anything really to console her and tell her she felt the same, but it just didn't feel like the right setting for such an act.

"I'm afraid I do have to go. I am sorry that I have to leave early though, I was really looking forward to spending the next few days with all of you," Hermione offered in earnest.

Mrs. Weasley sighed heavily and looked like she was about to make one more attempt to get Hermione to reconsider, but Mr. Weasley stepped in. "We understand, Hermione. These things can't be helped sometimes. There will be other times for us all to spend time together," he proclaimed with a kind smile while giving his wife a pointed look. Mrs. Weasley sighed once more and rolled her eyes briefly before speaking.

"He's right, dear," she relented. "Well, eat up. Your food is getting cold - have to keep your energy up."

"Thank you," Hermione said with a bit of a chuckle as she gathered up a forkful of food.

"Ginny, you too," Mrs. Weasley pressed as she directed her attention to her youngest child.

"I'm full," Ginny replied as she pushed her plate forward, despite the fact that there was still food on it. The gesture caught everyone's attention.

"Ginny," her mother warned and settled for giving the young Weasley a look of warning.

"I said I'm full," Ginny stated. Although the words were a bit harsh, her tone was flat. "I'll help you clean up, Mum," she announced as she stood up and began gathering up empty plates. Hermione's guilt grew as she watched the scene unfold.

"Let me help you," she offered as she, too, stood and reached out for the nearest empty plate.

"No, Mione, it's fine. Relax, finish your food," Ginny ordered in a soft, yet firm voice, as she gently took Hermione's outreached hand and pulled it back, urging the girl to sit.

"No, I'm fine, really," Hermione insisted.

"No," Ginny said with a bit more authority this time, now making eye contact with the brunette and consequently ceasing her protests. "You only had, what, two days off? Just relax, Hermione. Please."

"Ginny..." Hermione didn't know what else to say. She sat in her chair and watched, feeling helpless and wretched beyond compare as Ginny silently gathered up the rest of the dishes, joined by Mrs. Weasley, the only noises in the room being the slow, awkward scraping of cutlery on the plates.

Mercifully, in time, Ron started up conversation around the dining table once more and the tension from before was greatly diffused. However, Hermione just couldn't focus on the conversation at hand and instead her gaze kept shifting to mother and daughter working away in the kitchen off to the side. That tightness in Hermione's throat grew as each time there was an opportunity for her and Ginny to lock eyes, Ginny refused, or perhaps couldn't be bothered, to look her way.

After what felt like an eternity, Ginny finally left the kitchen and took the long way to get to the stairs, but still unable to evade Hermione's watchful eye. Excusing herself, the brunette rose from her seat and hurried after her girlfriend.

"Ginny," she called softly, as she came up behind Ginny on the steps. It took the younger girl a moment, but eventually she came to a stop and turned around.

"Do you need to pack?" Ginny asked. There was no malice or blame in her voice; it came out as merely a question spurred by simple curiosity.

"No, I came to talk with you," Hermione replied in what she hoped wasn't complete exasperation.

"About what?" Ginny asked, feigning ignorance that couldn't fool either of them for a second.

"Gin," Hermione beseeched as she went a step up to join Ginny and took the girl by the hand, tugging lightly and though receiving a hint of initial resistance, pulled Ginny down so they were sitting on the step together. A moment passed and eventually Ginny's frosty demeanour faded away and she brought her other hand over to clasp Hermione's between her own. Encouraged by the action, Hermione leaned her head over and planted a soft kiss on Ginny's shoulder before resting her head on it. She smiled as she felt Ginny lean against her.

"Gin, I'm so sorry," she said with a sigh. "I know you're mad-"

"I'm not mad," Ginny interjected, shifting her head to look at Hermione. "I mean, of course I've missed you like crazy and was looking forward to this time together, but...I understand that you have other obligations."

"Gin-"

"No, I understand, I do, and I support you. I just don't think it's fair that they're doing this to you. You should be allowed to have a week off and not get called back in after two days," Ginny explained.

Hermione had to admit she was in full agreement with Ginny on that. "I know," was all she could say.

"Promise me you'll rest up as much as you can before you have to go? And that you'll at least **try** to get more rest when you're back in Paris? Don't let Ms. Blake work you to death," Ginny asked, though from her tone Hermione could tell it was more of a demand than anything.

"I promise."

That evening after dinner Hermione went up to Ginny's room to begin packing her bags, Ginny in tow, insisting on keeping her company during the task.

"Really, Gin, you don't have to stay, you can go outside and play quidditch with the boys," Hermione offered once more as she started to gather up her things off of the nightstand.

"Mione, I've spent like what, a week with you in the past four months? Believe me, I'd rather spend time with you than play quidditch with the guys. And besides, we all know I'd win anyway," Ginny joked with a cocky grin that earned her an admonishing look from the brunette.

"Glad to see you've kept your ego in check," Hermione offered as she began to carry her things over to her bag, only to be tripped and sent stumbling a few steps as Crookshanks shot between her feet to stand in front of the bag, blocking her path and hissing once more, only this time at her. "Crookshanks!" Hermione nearly bellowed as she regained her balance and began picking up some of the things she'd dropped, Ginny helping as well.

"Merlin, what's gotten into him?" Ginny muttered as she handed the items back to Hermione and in one swift movement picked up Crookshanks and tried to sooth him despite his struggling.

"I have no idea," Hermione replied tersely as she roughly put her things away and glared back at her increasingly moody cat. "He's been acting out for weeks now. I took him to the vet, **twice**, but they couldn't find anything wrong with him."

"He doesn't want to go back to Paris," Ginny cooed as she pet the now somewhat subdued feline.

"Well, too bad," the brunette snapped, "he's just going to have to deal."

"She's mad at you," Ginny said in a sing-song voice to a pouting Crookshanks and chuckled lightly at the look that Hermione sent her way. "It's okay, she's been mad at me too. She gets over it...eventually. Though she does have a tendency to never forget and she may bring things up again at a later point."

"Here, give him to me," Hermione requested in a much gentler voice than before as she reached out for Crookshanks, and merely arched an eyebrow at Ginny's teasing. "I'm going to take him downstairs. I won't have him ruining our night."

A few minutes later, Hermione returned to the bedroom to find Ginny lounging on her bed reading a quidditch magazine. Hermione took a moment to survey the scene before her until deciding to stride over toward her girlfriend. She had to swallow the laugh that would've bubbled up otherwise over the yelp of protest that came from Ginny when her magazine was plucked out of her unsuspecting hands.

Hermione set the magazine down and climbed into bed and on top of Ginny, who was now looking rather cheeky.

"There will be plenty of time for quidditch readings later. Since I'm leaving sooner than expected, I think I owe you a proper goodbye."

**AN**: Well, a short-lived trip to the Burrow for our dear Hermione. Of *course* there had to be interruptions. Again, thank you to everyone for being so patient. Things will pick up very soon - I promise!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

_**Ginny POV**_

"Blimey, Mione, you look exhausted all over again," Ginny mumbled as a dishevelled Hermione appeared before her.

"Thanks," Hermione remarked in a flat voice as she eyed Ginny resentfully. The brunette sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "It'll be fine soon. Our deadline is in a few days and we're very nearly done rallying support. It's just been a tiring process I suppose."

"I'll say," Ginny scoffed. "What have they been having you do, exactly? Merlin, the way they're wearing you down they should be paying you triple what they do."

"It's not about the money, Gin," Hermione argued. "And I haven't been doing anything too strenuous, actually. I think I just haven't been sleeping well. I guess worries about work have been weighing me down," she hypothesized.

Ginny eyed her girlfriend with searing doubt before asking, "Well, then what? What comes after the project is okayed again by the Minister?"

"Then," Hermione stressed impatiently, "we move onto implementing."

Ginny did her best to not roll her eyes as her mind foresaw how much more of a toll the implementation process would take on Hermione. "You better not die while you're out there," Ginny joked half-heartedly. "I don't quite fancy having to find another girlfriend. It's a dreadful process, you know."

Hermione gave a brusque laugh and shook her head ruefully before cracking a grin. "Like you could get rid of me **that **easily."

"I would hope not," Ginny replied as she gave a small smile. "I'm just worried about you," she said softly while looking earnestly at the older girl.

"I know, Love," Hermione responded quietly as she sat forward and mustered up a smile of her own for the redhead.

Ginny frowned as she saw Hermione's eyes flit away uncomfortably before settling them on Ginny once more, fidgeting all the while.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

Hermione studied Ginny for a moment and spoke tentatively, "Um, has Pig been acting a little strange?"

"What?" Ginny asked in thorough confusion.

Hermione readjusted her position on the couch and spoke more confidently. "He arrived this evening with a letter from you and he seemed very distraught-"

Ginny interrupted Hermione's explanation with a snickering laugh that earned her a harsh glare from the brunette.

"What?" Ginny asked once more in innocence. "He's always crazy."

"No," Hermione stated firmly. "He was really upset. Like he was scared...he wouldn't leave me alone. And when I touched his wing he nearly had a heart attack. I thought he might be injured, but I took a closer look and couldn't see anything."

"Oh," Ginny frowned. "Well...I don't know what to say. I'm sure it's nothing. I guess he was a bit madder than usual when he left, but the weather's been dreadful recently - he's been cooped up indoors for the most part. He acts out when he has too much energy."

Hermione let out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes. "Gin, I don't know...it just...it wasn't normal. Something about it has me concerned."

A dull silence crept into their conversation and both girls averted their eyes awkwardly. Eventually, Ginny cleared her throat and asked, "So, how's Crookshanks been?"

Hermione sighed heavily and gave Ginny a look that told her that the brunette knew she was just trying to change the subject, but turned to pet the cat that was sleeping next to her on the couch. "He's still rather insane. He must've run himself ragged with his antics because this is the first time he's slept in days I think. He must absolutely hate it here."

"I'm sure he just misses me," Ginny suggested with a lopsided grin as she leaned back against the wall in the Room of Requirement.

Hermione returned the smile and obliged her girlfriend, "I'm sure he does."

"Maybe it's just Paris that's driving them **both** insane," Ginny chuckled, but recoiled slightly under the glare Hermione delivered.

"Gin, I'm serious," Hermione said sternly. "Something's wrong."

Ginny couldn't help herself and shrugged her shoulders, just unsure of what Hermione was getting at or what it could be. Hermione looked at her darkly and crossed her arms before looking away.

"Fine, never mind then, Ginny. I won't bother you with my nonsense any longer," Hermione stated haughtily.

Ginny released a frustrated sigh. "What do you want me to say, Mione? I'm trying here, but honestly, what could it be?" She threw her hands up in a mixture of question and defeat. "Maybe he ran into trouble with another owl on the way over. Or maybe the weather was rough," she offered dismissively.

"Maybe," Hermione pouted, though still clearly not believing a word Ginny just said.

"Why don't you just tell me your theory," Ginny said with exaggerated patience. She saw that Hermione was resisting, so she gave her an imploring look and repeated the request. Only then did Hermione give in.

"I know you're going to think I'm mad," Hermione replied in a temper.

"Mione, please," Ginny said tiredly, despite her best efforts to not let her impatience show.

The brunette shot her an offended look, but forged on. "I looked at the letter to see if it had been tampered with - I couldn't be sure though." She paused for a second and took a breath before moving on. "And this wasn't the first time I noticed it actually," she trailed off before shaking her head and looking to Ginny in disbelief. "Really? You didn't notice that Pig was a bit...off? He's been like this since the holidays. I sort of wrote it off at first, but it's getting worse every time." Her eyes glanced elsewhere momentarily before looking at Ginny with determination, "I think someone...intercepted, Pig."

"You can't be serious," Ginny scoffed incredulously.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me," Hermione huffed.

"Maybe you're overtired," Ginny suggested gently. "Perhaps you should try to get a good night's sleep...maybe you're not thinking clea-"

"It's not like I haven't been going to bed at a decent hour," Hermione snapped severely. "I'm tired, yes, but I haven't lost my mind, okay?"

"Okay," Ginny responded hesitantly as she reconsidered her initial inclination to retaliate.

"I just have a bad feeling, that's all," Hermione said quietly; now subdued.

"Don't make me crack a divination joke," Ginny ventured against her better judgment.

"God, you're worse than Ron!" Hermione exploded.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, that was inappropriate," the younger girl admitted as she put her hands up in defense and gave her girlfriend her most apologetic look. Hermione huffed indignantly, still obviously unimpressed, but kept quiet to provide room for Ginny to speak. "So, who would be interested in seeing what I send to you?"

"Well, it's not just Pig, I think. Hedwig was a bit strange recently, too. But it was less obvious with her. Pig is a bit more excitable, so perhaps that's why. Even Harry noticed it, though, said that when he tried to send her again she threw a fit," Hermione explained.

"Oh," Ginny said as her mind began to process this new information - perhaps...perhaps, Hermione was onto something. "Well...so, the holidays? So all other owls you received prior to then were fine?"

"Well, I've only noticed it since I've been back," Hermione replied, "but I hadn't received any messages by owl for quite some time prior to the holidays since everyone knew I would be back in London soon anyway," she continued as she furrowed her brows in thought. "I believe the most recent time was your letter from Hogsmeade, but that was fine."

"And it wasn't Pig," Ginny added pointedly. "I just used an owl from the owlery in Hogsmeade."

"Yes, but I don't think it's so much the owl, as the timeframe," Hermione countered.

"Okay, but still, who would it be? What's the motivation?" Ginny asked.

Hermione pursed her lips as she went deep into thought. "I don't know..."

Ginny frowned as she racked her brain, but came up with nothing but blanks. "Okay, well, first things first, let's confirm whether or not someone is actually watching your mail."

"Right," the brunette nodded. "Well, I actually-"

"Hey, do you think maybe it's the French Ministry?" Ginny blurted out as the thought struck her.

"Possibly," Hermione nodded, a bit regretfully Ginny noted. "They could be watching the whole team. It could have something to do with us making progress on the project...maybe someone on their side is unhappy about that. I mean, they set up these extra requirements as more of a roadblock than anything - I'm sure they expected the project to be shut down, but maybe they've heard that we already surpassed the requirements." Ginny was about to agree with the older girl's statement when Hermione continued. "Yet...we got support from all the people who **should** have opposed the reform, the ones that the French Ministry were worried about. However, there's got to be someone who is unhappy - my guess would be those with unregistered elves."

"Sounds plausible to me," Ginny confirmed before narrowing her eyes at her girlfriend. "It also sounds like this isn't the first time this has crossed your mind."

Suddenly, a mischievous smirk formed on the brunette's face as she brought her gaze up to meet Ginny's - the look unnerving the redhead.

"I love you, Ginny," Hermione stated evenly, not dropping her gaze, if anything it intensified.

"What the Hell," Ginny muttered as she tried to back up, but felt resistance since she was already pressed against the wall.

"Get ready for another scandal," the brunette smiled, all impishness in her expression replaced by innocence.

"What?" Ginny asked, confused by her girlfriend's supposedly genius plan.

"If you send me a letter with information like that, if someone is actually intercepting it, it'll end up in the papers for sure. If it is the French Ministry, they would certainly love to drag my name through the mud and discredit me. They'll make up their own evidence, of course, perhaps more pictures shown out of context or whatever the case may be, but they'll relate it to whatever is in your letter. Whether it's Rita Skeeter who publishes the article or not, we'll know that someone sold the story," Hermione explained.

"Hold on," Ginny said as she raised a hand although she already knew full well where Hermione was going with this, she just didn't like the direction - not one bit. "Information like what, exactly?"

"Information like what was in Witches Weekly a while back - something tabloid worthy. I think the scandals and this are related. So if that's what they want, then we'll give it to them."

Ginny gave her girlfriend a doubtful stare.

"Or, if you want, I can send you a letter like that instead," the brunette offered.

"No, no," Ginny objected. Normally Ginny trusted Hermione's logic completely, but this just didn't sit well with the younger girl. "I don't know, Mione, this seems pretty extreme. Can't we just use a spell?"

"I've already tried," Hermione relayed. "I didn't try anything the first time, like I said, I just sort of ignored it. But when it happened again, and with Hedwig, too, I figured something was up. Of course my first course of action was to try a spell - various spells, but none of them worked. But at the same time, I just can't let this rest. Something's wrong."

Ginny took a moment to soak in Hermione's words. While she understood Hermione's point, Ginny was just uncomfortable with the plan. "Well...maybe there really is nothing going on. And I still don't like this approach. This effects your reputation and I don't want you to push your luck," she warned. "And if jeopardizing your own reputation isn't enough, wouldn't it hurt the project as well?"

"Well, I have my reasons for doing it this way," Hermione informed her. "One, if something does get published, then it's absolutely certain that I'm being monitored. Next, if I am in fact being watched, I don't want you to be at risk because of that. This would separate us in the public eye, and you'll be off the radar. Thirdly, Ms. Blake can smooth things out so the repercussions are minimal. She'll be absolutely furious with whoever is responsible."

"I really don't want to have to rely on Ms. Blake. And isn't she the one who told you to stay away from scandals?" Ginny stressed, though from the brunette's demeanour, Ginny already knew her chances of changing Hermione's mind were slim.

"Don't worry about Ms. Blake - she won't let me or the project go under," the older girl countered.

"Are you sur-"

"Gin," Hermione interjected in exasperation. "I know you don't like her, I know most people don't! But she has been my biggest advocate since I've been here **and** she's accountable for the project as well, she won't abandon it."

Ginny sighed in defeat. "Fine."

"Don't tell me you're scared, Gin," Hermione baited, pulling a dark stare out of the redhead in question. "Fine, I'll write the letter."

"No," Ginny declared tersely. "I'll write it. Besides, scandals are practically expected when it comes to quidditch players, right?" She smirked. "And I've already had one scandal, why not another."

"Well, as clever as I think this is, I really don't want to drag your name through the mud, either," Hermione backtracked.

"Don't worry about it, I'm a big girl, I can handle it," Ginny assured her with a wink.

"You're the best, Gin," Hermione smiled.

"Yeah, yeah." The redhead dismissed the flattery with a playful wave. "Just don't expect a spontaneous visit from me in an attempt to do unnecessary damage control."

"Aw, but that's half the fun," the brunette complained with a smile.

Ginny indulged the older girl in a smirk before a thought crossed her mind. "Hey, can you do me a favour?"

"Anything," Hermione said earnestly.

"Can you somehow let my mom know ahead of time that this is planned? I don't want another howler."

Hermione laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Ginny closed her mouth around a spoonful of food, listening as best she could to Colin's apprehensions about their upcoming Transfiguration test, but really, her attention was raptly focused on the upper windows in the Great Hall. She couldn't help herself; she kept glancing over to spot the first signs of the morning post arriving. The disaster would hit any day now if Hermione's theory was correct. Just a couple of days ago the brunette had confirmed that she received Ginny's latest letter. Again, Pig was upset upon arrival, and Ginny had to admit that the poor owl was far from thrilled when he got the directions to go to Hermione. Normally, he was enthralled with the idea of travelling so far and he had always like the brunette, but now he wasn't nearly as eager to take on the journey.

The younger girl experienced an odd sense of pride over the sordid account of her 'affair' with an unnamed Slytherin girl – maybe if this whole quidditch trajectory didn't work out, writing could be an alternative. Ginny smirked as she recalled Hermione's reaction to the letter she received.

_"...it was so vivid that had I not asked you to write it, I'd be over to Hogwarts in a flash with the tip of my wand seeking you out."_

Ginny repressed a snicker and nodded her head appropriately as Colin went on. The redhead's attention was drawn away from her fellow Gryffindor, however, when she saw Luna approaching.

The blonde sat down across from Ginny, sitting next to Colin, and eyed the redhead wearily, merely holding up an article. Ginny giggled at the look on Luna's face as she plucked the paper out of the blonde's hand and smiled enthusiastically as she read.

She laughed furthermore as she read the title of the article, "Hermione Granger's Endless Heartbreak". It went on about how heartbreak knows no distance and how the sound of Hermione's just recently mended heart breaking all over again could be heard across the expanse. Ginny scoffed as she read that apparently she had grown tired of Hermione's negligence and sought out a girl that was everything that the previous Head Girl was not - a bad girl from Slytherin from a pure-blood family.

Upon looking up from the article, Ginny saw that both Luna and Colin were clearly perplexed.

"I sincerely hope that there is a catch to all of this," Luna said lightly.

Without further ado, Ginny leaned forward and whispered the plan to both her friends. Upon finishing her explanation, Luna gave her a relieved, yet concerned look.

"Aren't you worried about the repercussions for you?"

Ginny snorted. "No. It's all rubbish and I couldn't care less about what people think."

Luna smiled approvingly. "I'm glad there's someone else who so genuinely doesn't care what others think of them."

The redhead was about to respond when a letter swooped in. To her relief, it wasn't a howler, but upon examining the writing on the envelope she could see it was from Percy. Just seeing his penmanship aggravated her and she knew that she'd be even more furious by the time she was through reading the letter. With a heavy sigh she opened it.

_Isn't one scandal bad enough! You're ruining the family name with all of your promiscuous gallivanting. I've already had people questioning me about this ridiculous article. For some unknown reason, Dad seems unbothered by the uproar - I don't get it. I'm sending this to you expedited because you need to fix this, __**now**__._

Ginny folded up the letter with a roll of her eyes.

"_Prat_," she thought.

She was in the middle of formulating a response to send to Percy when another letter swooped in. She arched an eyebrow as she turned it over in her hand, a smile eventually breaking out across her face as she saw the twins' writing.

_Dear little sis,_

_We are __**doubly**__ disappointed in ourselves. You continue to outdo us in the getting-girls department. Be kind and send a couple our way, will you? We do certainly hope you still have time for studies despite your very busy social schedule, because we really don't fancy keeping you on our payroll for the rest of our natural lives. We're going to assume (and hope) that our dear Hermione is in on this. We'd fear her coming here in search of you, no doubt blowing the shop to smithereens in her fury. We can hold our own in a duel, but we really don't fancy taking her on, even two-on-one. Don't tell her that._

_Cheers,_

_Fred & George_

Ginny smirked as she shook her head in amusement. The twins could always make her laugh. She'd have to send them a reply later and teasingly assure them of their safety.

That evening after dinner, Ginny took a stroll up to the owlery and delivered a response to the twins' and Percy, respectively. Her letter to Percy had been taunting, at best.

_Dearest Percy,_

_What does it matter if this 'scandal' has people questioning you? At least now they actually might know who you are. These articles probably put you on the map! You can thank me later when the next time a superior talks to you, they might call you by name._

_Much love,_

_Ginevra_

She smirked. That'd get him riled up, all right. Well, Hermione was right. Now what? Ginny's mind reeled as this new realization settled in. She'd have to contact Hermione and see how things were there. With any luck, she'd have a plan of action or perhaps a further explanation as to what was really going on.

**AN**: A little bit more trouble for our poor Hermione. I'd like to extend a big thanks to everyone for taking the time to read and follow this story along. Enjoy your week!


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

_**Hermione POV**_

"How are you, dear?"

Hermione did her best to not smile as she sat across from Ms. Blake in the woman's closed office.

"It hasn't been easy, but work has kept me distracted," Hermione offered. The older woman nodded in sympathy.

"Well, I guess there's a loss for every win," she stated with a subtle shrug. "At least the project is moving forward. Try not to worry about Ginny, she seemed rather juvenile. You're better off."

It took all of Hermione's strength to not let her emotions get the better of her. She had to remind herself that this is what she wanted. As such, she managed to hold back her natural response and merely offered her a nod of acceptance. "Thank you, Ms. Blake."

"Please, call me Vivian," the woman smiled.

Hermione nearly stammered, but surprised herself by replying, "Thank you, Vivian." She paused before continuing on. "I apologize if the recent news has caused more problems for us with the French Ministry."

Ms. Blake sighed and leaned back in her chair, setting her quill down on the desk in the process. "No, I've sorted it out. Though I hope that with Ginny out of the way, that will have been the last of your fame. I've been able to smooth things over thus far, but I don't know how much longer I'll have the same luck."

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione assured her. Before Hermione could lose control of her composure and crack a grin, she hurriedly blurted out, "I'm still amazed by the amount of support we were able to garner for the reform."

"Yes," the older woman smiled, "Rufus is very pleased to hear that the project hasn't been derailed. I told you everything would be fine."

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you in the least," Hermione stated as she gave a faint smile. "Ms. Blake -er, Vivian, do you have any idea of who would have wanted the project to fail? I mean, I know you were right about things working out, but I, admittedly, had my doubts initially. I feel the French Minister was setting us up for failure."

Perhaps Ms. Blake would know who in the French Ministry would keep an eye on them. If Ms. Blake was being watched, Hermione was sure that it would be put to an end almost instantly, so she was fairly certain that their leader was in the clear. However, Hermione didn't quite feel comfortable enough to tell her that she was being watched. She wanted to know a bit more before saying anything.

"Hm," Vivian voiced as she sat up. "I suppose there were some who would've initially been inclined to reject the reform, but it appears as though they changed their minds. Why do you ask?"

"Just trying to gauge who we will receive resistance from during the implementation process - internal or external," Hermione responded with no hesitation.

"Internal," Ms. Blake repeated as she raised her eyebrows in quiet disbelief. "My dear, what has been going on?"

"Nothing, ma'am, I just always like to be prepared," the brunette insisted as sincerely as possible.

The older woman sat back in her chair and rested her head against a raised hand and smiled curiously at Hermione. "Like any good employee." The next second, Ms. Blake dropped her gaze and leaned forward to clasp her hands together and rest them on the desk. When she looked at Hermione, her eyes twinkled. "Well, you certainly disgraced that French analyst. He's a possible candidate for dissent. I upset his boss by calling out faith misplaced in a public meeting. Mr. Weasley seems more unimpressed with you every day - however, I wouldn't worry about him," Vivian listed off the possibilities easily with a shrug. "Politics, dear. It's a tricky game."

Hermione gave a small nod as she considered the people named.

"Even Jacob has hinted a couple of times about you," Vivian noted lightly with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"What?" Hermione frowned, her posture stiffening subconsciously. Ms. Blake eyed her sympathetically.

"I'm afraid so. Nothing major, really, he's harmless. But I think that's half the problem. He knows you're outshining him and he's the Department Head for heaven's sake."

"But," Hermione started as her mind worked itself into a frenzy, "you and Mr. Scrimgeour are the only ones who could dismiss or demote him. He's done an excellent job with the Ministry for years! And I'm so new, and," she worked herself up so much that she started to stumble over her words. She frowned. "It's silly."

"You are very new," Vivian admitted, "but Rufus has had his eye on you since he heard word from Albus that you were interested in a career at the Ministry. He's eager to have you move up - scandals withstanding. Not that I don't want you to," she added on, "but I work closely with Jacob and better understand how complicated the matter is."

Hermione's frown deepened. There was no way they could be considering her as a replacement for Mr. Noirent - the notion was beyond ridiculous.

"Well, I hate to cut this short but I have a meeting in London that I have to leave for," Ms. Blake announced as she rose from her seat. Hermione reciprocated the action without even realizing it.

"Take care of yourself. And don't you worry - I know it must be devastating, but you're better off on your own, don't need someone interrupting your business with their drama," Ms. Blake remarked as she gathered up her paperwork. Looking up, she asked lightly, "Would you like for me to speak with a few of the scouts? Make sure that Miss Weasley slips their minds when they're assembling their rosters for next year?"

"No, no," Hermione shook her head fervently while giving a soft, if not nervous chuckle. "That won't be necessary at all. But...thank you."

Hermione wasn't sure if Ms. Blake was joking or not, but she supposed that she should be thankful that Ms. Blake was so concerned. Although Hermione didn't approve of even a joke such as the one Ms. Blake delivered, again, she had to remind herself that this is what she and Ginny had been aiming for. She offered the older woman a smile.

"Thank you, Ms. Blake. Enjoy your day."

Now, at least Ginny should be free from the Ministry's watchful eye.

* * *

"Mione!"

Hermione nearly jumped at Ginny's exclamation the second she appeared, her voice echoing across Hermione's flat and startling Crookshanks enough to send him scurrying off into the other room.

"Ginny," the brunette chuckled a little uncertainly as she eyed her girlfriend who very clearly was eager to share some news.

"Are you alone?" Ginny asked in a conspiratorial whisper that Hermione couldn't help but be amused by. She laughed in response.

"Yes, since when do I ever have visitors over?"

"Just checking," Ginny whispered as here eyes flitted around. "I found out some very interesting news today. Like, **huge**."

Hermione frowned. "What? Is everything okay?"

"I don't really know," the younger girl admitted. "I'll start from the beginning though." Hermione gave her a nod and Ginny began her story. "Okay, so I sent a snarky letter to Percy after the article first came out, remember?" Hermione gave her a hesitant nod, still unsure of where this was going. "And then, he wrote back and he was all, 'I know **plenty** about what's going on and I'm so important. I know more than your EX would ever know' blah blah blah," Ginny spoke hurriedly as she mocked her brother. "Then I wrote another snarky letter, taunting him furthermore. Something about his comment about knowing more than you set off alarms in my head so I probed, discretely, and then he spilled on Ms. Blake," Ginny announced energetically.

"What do you mean?" Hermione frowned.

"Remember that whole story Ron told us about how Ms. Blake freed her house-elf?" Ginny asked, calming down just a fraction. Hermione nodded. "Well, that was complete bullocks. Percy just told him that because that's what the known story is, however, he's known all along that Ms. Blake actually dismissed her house-elf, as in **fired** him. Apparently, his 'insolence' motivated her to do so. I don't know what he meant by 'insolence' though - he wasn't specific. Anyway, I **told** you she can't be trusted," Ginny said in accusation.

Hermione shook her head in an attempt to clear her head. "Hold on, so where is this house-elf then?"

The younger girl shrugged regretfully. "I don't know."

Hermione frowned as she wrapped her mind around this new information. "Well, we don't exactly know what the context of this dismissal was...we shouldn't jump to conclusions-"

"Why are you defending her!" Ginny exclaimed. "You must know that there's something off about her. Come on Hermione! You're smarter than this."

Hermione flashed back to Ms. Blake making rude comments about Ginny earlier and also how Ms. Blake may have planted some seeds of doubt in Hermione's mind about other members of the British and French Ministries. True, she'd initially had a fairly strong dislike for Ms. Blake, but some of her actions had overshadowed some of Hermione's doubt and ill-will, particularly when Ms. Blake had come to her rescue and defended her in recent times. Until now, and even now was debatable, Hermione had not seen evidence to support the argument that something was truly off about Ms. Blake. She truly was Hermione's strongest advocate and had made much of the reform's current progress possible.

The brunette wanted to believe that Ms. Blake had a good excuse for firing her house-elf, but from Hermione's personal experiences, house-elves would only cause 'trouble' if they were being mistreated. That initial dislike that Hermione had stowed away began to fester and grow at a disturbing rate. With a bit of apprehension and reluctance she had to conclude that perhaps Ginny was right. Yes, maybe the dismissal was nothing, but on the other hand, it just might be. Either way, Hermione knew she couldn't just let this slide - they had to look deeper into it.

"Don't you have a quidditch match coming up soon?" Hermione asked as she brought her gaze up to Ginny, who now wore a very perplexed look.

"Yeah, this weekend, what does that-"

"I think I may have to come by to support you," Hermione stated as she gave Ginny a pointed look. "And perhaps we'll have to venture out and go on a bit of an adventure."

Ginny's expression shifted from confused to mischievous. "I like the way you think, Miss Granger."

"Since I'm being watched like a hawk, can you speak with Harry and see if he can get Dobby to help us locate this house-elf? And try to be as discrete as possible, I don't know who else in the Ministry is being watched."

Ginny gave an eager nod. "Absolutely. By the way, is everything okay at work?"

"Yeah, Ms. Blake sorted things out...oddly enough," Hermione informed Ginny slowly as she re-processed the situation in her mind.

"Hm, well, let's hope that's true," Ginny replied sceptically before continuing with a smirk, "I can't believe your insane plan worked. You really must've spent way too much time with Ron and Harry - they're the ones are supposed to come up with plans like that, not you."

"Come on," Hermione scoffed before straightening her posture and speaking loftily, "I can be lots of fun."

Ginny laughed appreciatively before growing serious once more. "You know," she started, only to take a moment to gather her thoughts, "this whole thing...it just...I feel like it's much bigger than we're anticipating. Please be careful, Mione. I really don't trust Ms. Blake at all, and I mean, I can't really be there to look out for you right now and-"

"You don't need to look out for me," Hermione offered gently, being mindful of Ginny's emotions and apprehensions, but wanting to put a cap on the redhead's impending stress. This whole situation did make Hermione uneasy – rather uneasy in fact, but there was no benefit in distressing Ginny. "I admit, this new development has caught me off guard, but please don't worry. I can't make any solid claims yet on what I think is truly going on, but just keep in mind that if Ms. Blake was hoping to ruin my career or whatever else you may have envisioned, she's had plenty of opportunities by now. Even if she did dismiss her house-elf, that in itself isn't a crime – far from it, actually. It may make her a rotten person, but not a danger, especially to me."

Hermione looked on as Ginny seemed to struggle against accepting the older girl's reasoning. Keeping her eyes locked on the redhead, eventually Ginny released a short sigh as she shook her head.

"Let's not forget which class you didn't manage to get an 'O' in, shall we?" Ginny quipped with a faint smirk.

"**Don't** bring it up," Hermione snapped as her eyes grew wide in disbelief over the girl bringing up such a thing. The brunette's temper flared as a laugh that Ginny didn't quite succeed in stifling filled the air. Well, it was only fair to not have innate abilities in everything...such as Defence Against the Dark Arts...and flying. It had taken a long time to convince herself that "Exceeds Expectations" was satisfactory, and she'd be damned if she let Ginny take that hard-earned acceptance away.

"I'm just teasing, Mione, calm down," Ginny chuckled with a soft smile that slightly appeased Hermione, though the trace of a humour in Ginny's eyes didn't much please her.

"Why are you talking about Dark Arts anyway," Hermione continued a bit more severely than intended.

"Just teasing, love," Ginny replied. While she probably meant to sound relaxed or nonchalant, Hermione easily picked up on her girlfriend's underlying unease.

"Don't worry, Gin," Hermione assured the younger girl as her own previous irritation instantly faded away.

Ginny sighed heavily. "Something's really wrong when **you're** telling **me** to not worry. We appear to have rubbed off on one another – suddenly you're laid back and I'm high strung," she remarked with a hint of displeasure.

"I'm going to ignore that comment," Hermione relayed in a flat voice while offering her girlfriend an unimpressed look. "Anyways, speak to Harry for me? I'll take care of things over here."

"Yes, ma'am," Ginny retorted in the exact same tone, eliciting a huff of borderline annoyance out of Hermione.

"Ginny," she said simply and waited purposefully until she saw Ginny's acknowledgement. Only then did she provide the redhead with a gentle smile. "See you soon, Love."

A beat passed, but Ginny's sombre facade eventually cracked and she revealed a smile of her own. "I can't wait."

**AN**: First off, I'd like to thank everyone for dealing with the strange development in my last update and thanks in advance for being good sports about this one's lol. I hope everyone had a good weekend. Enjoy your week!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

_**Ginny POV**_

"Game well played," Professor Dumbledore smiled as Ginny, still in her quidditch robes, came up to stand next to Hermione who was currently talking with the headmaster and Professor McGonagall.

"Thank you, sir," Ginny replied with a humble nod.

"The scouts will be attending your next game," Professor McGonagall announced with a quiet smile. "They've been talking about you for quite some time now, I understand. I imagine that would be a good game to attend," she commented as she gave Hermione a sly glance, which didn't go unnoticed by the smirking brunette.

"Well, it was kind of you to stop by, Miss Granger. Wonderful to see you again," Professor Dumbledore said with a quiet smile as he gave Professor McGonagall a subtle look and they departed down the hall, giving the girls some privacy.

"You were great, Ginny," the older girl complimented as she wrapped an arm around Ginny's waist and planted a light kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks," Ginny grinned before offering her girlfriend a wink. "Thanks for stopping by...for no reason at all..."

Hermione gave her an exaggerated look and muttered, "What are you talking about, I'm here to support you because that's the kind of girlfriend that I am." She cracked a grin. "And I have to make my presence known every now and then, what with all those girls in the stands with signs asking you to marry them..."

Ginny smiled smugly as she reached over to grasp the brunette's hand and began to walk them towards Gryffindor Tower. She purposely let Hermione's complaint go unacknowledged for a while just to rile her up, but eventually spoke, "Well, if you'll let me, I'll tell them all that I'm already very much taken." Ginny reached under her quidditch robes and pulled out her ring which was still on the gold chain and slipped the band onto her ring finger, showing Hermione. The redhead gave her girlfriend a teasing look and said, "You know these girls - they're so persistent. But I think something like this-" She waggled her fingers, "-would deter them."

The brunette gave a light, but derisive laugh. "If that's the best reason you have for marrying me-"

"No," Ginny argued, while she sought eye contact with the girl who was so casually avoiding her gaze. "You know that's not true. It's just one more reason, of many," Ginny stressed, "for me to marry you."

The redhead gave a quiet smile and looked down, suddenly bashful, as Hermione gave her a soft look.

"It's in your own best interest, really," Ginny finished in a lofty manner. She laughed as Hermione gave her a small shove.

The girls stepped into the Common Room and were instantly ambushed by enthusiastic Gryffindors whom were still high off of the House win. Ginny shot Hermione a coy smile as the students enveloped them, and only received a playful look of disdain from Hermione.

"Go on upstairs and get ready, I'll wait here," Hermione instructed as she waved Ginny off, talking loudly to be heard over the excited chatter.

"Yes, ma'am," Ginny replied flatly before shooting the older girl another grin and rushing upstairs to the dorms.

A short while later, Ginny came down in her casual clothes, but with jacket in hand and greeted a patient Hermione.

"I suggest we go while your fans are still unaware of your return," Hermione stated airily as she led the way out of the room.

Ginny headed down the hall and turned a few steps in as she realized that Hermione wasn't following. As she turned back, she saw the brunette walking in the opposite direction. A look of puzzlement crossed the redhead's face and she jogged to catch up.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to make a pit stop," Hermione announced, not bothering to make eye contact with the younger girl. Ginny frowned, but followed along nevertheless.

As she tried to determine where they were headed, her forehead creased furthermore. Eventually, it hit her.

"You couldn't have used the bathroom in the Tower?" Ginny asked in exasperation as she cocked an eyebrow.

"Wait here, please," Hermione stated as she smiled and disappeared into the Prefect's bathroom.

The redhead leaned back against the railing in the hall and tapped her foot impatiently. A few minutes later she checked her watched and sighed audibly before glancing irritably down the hall. She was about to get up and knock on the door when it swung open.

"Finally," Ginny complained as she rolled her eyes. She stood up and began to walk over, but stopped mid-step when she came upon a young woman she didn't recognize.

"Uh," Ginny said dumbly as she eyed the woman warily and took a step back.

"It's just me, Gin," the woman stated while giving the redhead a tired look.

"Mione?" Ginny asked in an uncharacteristically high voice.

"Yes," the woman chuckled and offered a smile.

"Why'd you take Polyjuice Potion?" Ginny asked as she eyed the new Hermione, who was a bit taller than Ginny, had blonde hair and green eyes.

"To be safe," the blonde girl responded easily as she began to walk. "I just have this feeling that the Ministry is watching closer than we originally thought. If they're watching my mail, I don't see why they wouldn't be curious to see where I'm going. They can track me to some degree at least through portkey travel, but I thought I'd at least attempt to not make it so easy for them."

"You don't think you're being just a little bit paranoid? You didn't seem this concerned a few days ago. We're just going to Hogsmeade and then apparating to Grimmauld Place," Ginny questioned.

"There could be Ministry officials in Hogsmeade and we don't know where Dobby will take us to meet with this house-elf. Better safe than sorry," Hermione stated. "And you should be off the watch now that they think we've split up, so you're fine as is."

Ginny nodded, though she still thought Hermione was being perhaps a bit too proactive, here. Though Ginny certainly had her apprehensions and anxieties over the recent discoveries, she had calmed down considerably compared to the other day. The thought that the Ministry could be watching Hermione here and taking these extra precautions hadn't crossed her mind. But, if this is what Hermione thought was suitable and wanted to do, then so be it.

As they navigated the corridors, Ginny couldn't help but peer over every now and then at Hermione in her new form. Of course Ginny had seen Polyjuice Potion used before, but she couldn't say that she'd seen Hermione use it before. The whole thing was rather intriguing.

"Well, I guess this is exciting," Ginny stated casually with a shrug as she reached out and let her fingers trace along Hermione's hip.

"Ginny!" The blonde exploded as she pulled away.

"What?" The redhead asked in innocence.

The older girl shot her a look of contempt and huffed before marching onward once more.

"What?" Ginny repeated, her voice rising.

Hermione exhaled angrily and replied in her most uptight voice. "It's me, but it's not **me**. I'm in an entirely different body," she exclaimed. "It's like cheating!" She cried indignantly.

Ginny was in the midst of a rebuttal when Hermione rounded on her, unfamiliar eyes flashing dangerously.

"Are you trying to say that you like this woman's body better than mine?"

Taken aback, Ginny began to sputter her defense and Hermione talked right over her.

"It's the hair, isn't it? Or my face? You think I look plain," the older girl rattled off as she pointed a finger at Ginny who continued to whither on the spot.

The redhead threw her hands up in defense, eyes magnificently wide, and protested as sincerely as possible, "Sweet Merlin, Hermione, I didn't mean a **thing** by what I said. Nothing! I think you're absolutely gorgeous-" Hermione's green eyes flared up once more and Ginny quickly recovered. "-the **real** you, not this you. And I adore your hair...and your face. I think you're perfect," she finished a little breathlessly.

Ginny stood motionless and Hermione studied her wordlessly for several moments. The redhead released a sigh of relief and dropped her defensive stance as Hermione walked on, only after huffing once more.

"We should get going," Hermione mumbled. "We're supposed to meet Harry at 5 - it's nearly time."

Ginny fell into step with Hermione and resisted the urge to grab her hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. Normally, during a moment like this, though they hadn't quite had one of this magnitude before, Ginny would reassure Hermione with hand-holding, a kiss or a hug. However, considering how the younger girl's last attempt at affection went over, perhaps such an approach was best put on hold for now.

* * *

"Harry." Hermione smiled happily as she rushed forward to give the bespectacled boy a large hug.

"Hi Hermione," Harry laughed as he was nearly knocked over by the overenthusiastic hug. Eventually, he pulled back from the embrace and eyed Hermione in amusement. "Changed your hair, I see."

Ginny stifled a laugh as she saw Hermione glower. The redhead decided to swoop in and save Harry before any harm came to him.

"Hi Harry," she greeted as she pulled him away and into a hug.

"Did you guys win today?" Harry asked as they broke their embrace.

"Of course," Ginny replied in her most matter-of-fact manner. "I gotta say though, Dennis has a lot to live up to, trying to fill your shoes on the pitch."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Sure." He began to walk down the hall and beckoned for both girls to follow. "So Dobby found this house-elf - apparently his name is Brumski," the dark-haired boy told them as they entered the kitchen. Dobby came to stand next to him, making Harry look much taller than he actually was.

Hermione nodded as she turned to Dobby. "Thank you for finding him, Dobby. Did you have much trouble locating him?"

"No, Miss," he said in his meek, small voice. "But he was very frightened when I showed up - he has not seen anyone in a very long time."

Hermione and Ginny shared a look.

"Is he being kept prisoner? He's isolated?" Ginny asked.

Dobby looked unsure and answered cautiously. "Dobby doesn't believe Brumski is being held prisoner. He disapparated at first when Dobby came!" He exclaimed. "But Dobby found him again and we went back. But yes, he is alone."

"Dobby, what did Brumski say to you when you found him?" Hermione asked.

"Not much, Miss," Dobby replied regretfully. "It's his memories, Miss. They're gone!"

Hermione and Ginny shared another look over this revelation.

"Gone?" Hermione reiterated. "As in, his memories have been removed?"

"Yes, Miss," Dobby answered with a solemn nod.

"Well, what could he remember?" Hermione asked, still clearly taken aback by this discovery.

"He did not want to share much," Dobby said wistfully. "But he only remembers his life in this home of his. He knows nothing of Ms. Blake."

That visceral distrust of Ms. Blake intensified in Ginny's gut as Dobby's words set in.

"How did you even find Brumski in the first place?" Hermione went on in latent disbelief.

"He's a house-elf, Miss" Dobby replied simply with a shrug. Ginny stared at him for a moment before shrugging herself, accepting his answer in delay.

"So Ms. Blake fired this house-elf, am I correct?" Harry asked as he leaned back slightly against the table behind him.

"Yes," Hermione answered. "For 'insolence', supposedly."

"I think you girls may have stumbled upon a very large mystery, here," Harry theorized in a light voice.

The redhead looked over to Hermione, who appeared to be very deep in thought. The group paused, essentially watching and waiting for her instructions. Eventually, Hermione brought her hand down from her chin and looked to Dobby once more.

"Dobby, you can you please take us to Brumski? And we'll need you to stay - I think it'll be a much smoother process if you're there since he knows you now. And if he's been alone all this time, he likely won't trust Ginny or I," she explained. Righting herself just so, Hermione spoke once more, her voice clear and decisive. "I'm going to try to restore his memories."

Everyone, even Dobby, raised their eyebrows in question as Hermione's proclamation hit.

"Hermione, that's no small task," Harry warned. "Memory restoration takes years and years of training." He stared back unfazed as Hermione shot him a fierce look.

"I'm well aware. I think I can successfully pull it off though," she replied resolutely. She must have seen that Harry was about to provide another piece of advise, and cut him off, explaining rather curtly. "I know I can do this."

"You haven't performed any memory charms before - at all," he retorted.

Hermione pursed her lips and stared back defiantly at Harry. "I just know I can do this. I know what to do."

Ginny searched the older girl's statement for any sign of hesitation or doubt and found none - thankfully. Ginny wasn't overly knowledgeable about memory modification, but she knew that restoring memories was even more of a skill than removing them. In addition, a botched attempt could be irreparable. The redhead gave a decisive nod of her head, drawing attention from the rest of the group - if anyone could pull this feat off, it was Hermione.

"Mione?" Ginny asked gently, not wanting Hermione to assume that she was doubtful of the older girl's abilities as well. Hermione turned, her expression considerably softer and waited expectantly. The redhead went on.

"If, presumably, Ms. Blake, has gone through the trouble of casting all these charms on Brumski, don't you think she'd have a way of detecting that we're tampering with her spells?"

Hermione looked thoughtful once more and slowly began to nod her head. "Right. I'll cast some anti-detection spells before I do anything else."

Silence permeated the room as everyone's minds processed the information and decisions recently revealed. A shake of blonde hair drew the group's attention to Hermione who spoke hurriedly.

"I'm not sure how much time I have left in this disguise, so we need to go now," she announced as she looked between Ginny and Dobby.

"I'm coming with you," Harry announced as he took a step towards them.

Ginny turned to Hermione to see the older girl giving a firm shake of her head.

"No, Harry," she said. "There's no need to get further involved."

"What are you talking about?" He asked incredulously. "Ms. Blake fires her house-elf, wipes his memory and stows him away in isolation - that's huge! I'm going to be an Auror for goodness sake, I can help you."

"I understand, Harry," Hermione said patiently, but just as firm. "But you're even closer to home than I am and she's watching me, she's got to be watching you, too - especially because you're an Auror. We'd need more Polyjuice at the very least and I don't have time or the supplies to brew more. I need to do this now." Harry still looked doubtful, but Hermione carried on. "Besides, Dobby says that Brumski hasn't been around anyone in a long time and he was even frightened by Dobby's presence. Just having Ginny and I there will be unnerving enough - having another person will make matters worse."

Ginny watched as Harry silently, yet reluctantly, withdrew his argument. Though she didn't want to do it, Ginny felt that she had to make a logical offer.

"I'll stay. Harry's right, Mione. He'll be useful - more-so than me," she professed.

"No," Hermione replied sharply as she shot a look Ginny's way. "I want you there." Swiftly, Hermione's stern demeanour softened and she frowned in uncertainty. "Unless if you'd prefer to stay. I don't want to endanger you, either, Gin."

"Well," Ginny spoke slowly, "I want to go with you. But, truly, Harry's the logical choice."

Hermione sighed and looked to Harry. "If we run into trouble, Dobby can come back and get you," she compromised. Initially Harry remained motionless, but eventually offered a resigned nod.

A moment of silence passed and Hermione let out a noise of nervous anticipation as she closed the space between her and Harry, pulling him into another fervent hug. "Thank you, Harry. I owe you."

Harry smirked, but quickly grew serious. "Be careful, okay? I don't know Ms. Blake as well as you, but she doesn't seem like a lady who messes around."

Hermione exhaled nervously and offered him a weak smile. "Not helping, Harry."

He gave her an apologetic smile and patted her shoulder in consolation. "Brightest witch of our age," he quipped. "Do me proud."

She gave him an eager, if anxious, nod and walked back over to join Ginny and Dobby.

Ginny caught her girlfriend's eye and gave her a reassuring smile. Hermione gave her a small smile in return, which grew more and more genuine in the passing seconds.

Dobby held his hands out to the girls. "Ready, Misses?"

Ginny gave Hermione one more smile and took Dobby's hand, Hermione reciprocating the action.

With a resounding crack, they disapparated.

**AN**: Hi everyone! So, a little bit more revealed about the house-elf situation. Thank you to everyone for their generous support - I really appreciate it. I'm hoping that as things progress, that the wait has been worth it. No pressure :p Have a great weekend!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny blinked as she took in their new surroundings. Her brows raised subconsciously as she examined the exterior of the grungy walls and rotting wood of the house before them. After a moment's contemplation, Ginny decided it was better referred to as a shack.

"This is where he is?" Ginny whispered, not wanting to disturb the silence.

"Yes, Miss," Dobby answered. "All by his lonesome. Dobby will go in first so that Brumski is not startled by you and disapparates."

"Good thinking, Dobby," Hermione nodded, her voice subdued.

With another crack, Dobby was gone.

Ginny turned to the blonde who stood next to her. "If Ms. Blake stashed him away here, do you think she's got detection spells here to warn her of any trespassers?"

A look of worry briefly passed across Hermione's face. "I certainly hope not. But if she did, she would've already been alerted from when Dobby first came here. I'll try some anti-detections spells, though." Ginny watched as Hermione pulled her wand out of her bag and flourished it a few times.

A moment later, the door to the shack creaked open and Dobby stood in the doorway to wave them inside. Hermione tucked her wand away and with a fleeting look towards one another, and the girls strode towards the shack before taking a tentative step inside.

Ginny looked around the room briefly before returning her gaze to Dobby.

"Where is he?"

Dobby cocked his head and gave her a nervous, yet amused smile.

"Right here, Miss," he said as he held his hand to his right. Ginny followed his little hand, but saw nothing but air. She glanced up at Hermione, perplexed, and saw that Hermione was feeling about the same.

"I don't see him, either, Dobby," Hermione said, a bit more tentative than she usually spoke.

Dobby frowned at them and turned to empty space next to him before glancing back at the girls, a deep frown on his pointed face.

"Is something wrong, Misses?" He asked.

"I don't see him Dobby," Ginny repeated. She wanted to reach out to the area to see if she could feel him, but if the house-elf really was there, she didn't imagine that he'd fancy the contact.

Hermione and Ginny intermittently studied Dobby and the space next to him before Dobby piped up, "Misses does not want to answer Brumski?"

"I'm sorry?" Hermione asked as she frowned further at the small house-elf.

"He was speaking to you Misses. He thinks you are taunting him," he explained.

"No, not at all, Dobby," Hermione responded. She shook her head, making her blonde hair fan out. "I can't see or hear him. Ginny?" She asked as she looked to the redhead in question.

"Me neither."

"Enough of this," Hermione said as she pulled out her wand, quickly at first, but slowing down dramatically and showcasing it deliberately. "It's just my wand," she explained gently. "I believe someone's put a Disillusionment Charm on you, Brumski. If it's alright with you, I'm going to remove it. I know you're probably very confused right now, but I promise that Ginny and I are here to help." She looked to Dobby for any indication on the other house-elf's feelings on the matter.

While Hermione waited, Ginny contemplated the possibility of Brumski being under a Disillusionment Charm. It made sense on one hand, yet Dobby could see him. However, it was possible that this was one of those things that didn't apply because Dobby was a house-elf as well.

"He wants to see your wand, Miss. He's curious - he has not seen one," Dobby stated.

Ginny shot a sharp look at Hermione, but the other girl heeded no attention to the redhead and simply held out the wand. A small part of Ginny was preparing to grab her own wand in case this house-elf tried to pull anything. Hermione's hand remained outreached for several moments, before finally Dobby took the wand from Hermione and held it out before him.

"Dobby is sorry to say that Brumski doesn't quite trust you, Miss," he explained in apology just before the wand was lifted out of his hand by a force that Ginny couldn't see. Her hand twitched, but thankfully she didn't do anything too rash because shortly after, the wand was just being handed back to Dobby, who returned it to Hermione.

Hermione stood unsurely, staring at the vacant spot before her, her wand half-poised for a spell. She glanced at Dobby, again looking for direction.

"He says go ahead, Miss," Dobby announced, yet Hermione didn't cast a spell. She moved her wand a bit aimlessly through the air, but eventually let out a frustrated sigh.

"I don't know where to cast the spell," she admitted.

Dobby looked over at the empty space before taking a few steps towards Hermione and moving her hand and wand appropriately.

"There," he nodded with a satisfied smile.

"Thank you," Hermione said distractedly as she readied herself. "Are you alright, Brumski?" She asked, her voice louder than usual. Dobby gave a nod a moment later and Hermione cast the spell, preceded by an anti-detection spell.

Ginny watched intently and waited. She cast a wary glance Hermione's way as no house-elf suddenly appeared. Hermione readjusted her stance, and straightened her back before casting the spell once more, this time saying the incantation. Still nothing. Ginny and Hermione shared a look and the redhead pulled out her wand, waiting for any indication that she shouldn't proceed. Receiving none, she and Hermione went back and forth casting various anti-invisibility charms. At the end of it all, still nothing.

"This is very strange, indeed," Dobby pondered as he began to pace a bit back and forth before them.

"Has anyone else seen him or interacted with him?" Hermione asked as she let her hand fall to her side and sought eye contact with Dobby, who in turn went over to the empty space and entered into a one-sided conversation - at least it was one-sided from where Ginny was standing.

"No, Miss, not that he can recall," Dobby answered.

Hermione inhaled apprehensively as she took a step back and Ginny found herself being pulled along with her.

"What do you think is going on?" The older girl asked, her eyes searching and clearly hoping Ginny had an explanation.

"Obviously not an invisibility charm, spell or something along those lines. Though, we should've clued in sooner considering we can't even hear him. It's like he doesn't exist at all," she said in hushed bewilderment.

"Doesn't exist...," Hermione mumbled under her breath as she studied the floor intently. Suddenly, her eyes snapped up and she frowned deeply at Ginny. "Fidelius Charm?"

"What?" Ginny asked incredulously as she glanced over to the space that Dobby was talking to. She turned back to Hermione. "Well, if it **was** a Fidelius Charm, wouldn't he just have been revealed because you guessed and we know where he is...essentially. And how could Dobby find him, then?"

Hermione peered over towards Dobby and examined the area for several moments before turning back.

"Well, to answer the latter, perhaps it's different because Dobby is a house-elf. There are many wizarding rules that house-elves are unaffected by," Hermione reasoned. "And for the former," she paused and exhaled heavily. "Well, Death Eaters knew that Grimmauld Place existed and some even knew the general area, but they could never actually see it, detect it, or interact with it in any way."

Ginny gave a soft nod of her head as she found herself looking back over to study the invisible figure that Dobby was speaking with.

"Fidelius Charm," she reiterated in wonder. "This is serious, Mione. Witches and wizards don't cast that spell lightly." Hermione gave a distracted nod, still deep in thought. Ginny spoke once more as an idea struck her. "Well, if this is true, then there's got to be a Secret-Keeper. Do you have any idea who Ms. Blake would trust enough to designate as Secret-Keeper?"

The older girl gave a disappointed sigh and shook her head. "No idea. And quite frankly I don't even want to think about the possibility of someone else being in on this...," she trailed off worriedly. "However, there have been cases where there is no Secret-Keeper. It's not an essential part of the charm, it's more of a safeguard element in case the caster passes away."

Ginny wasn't sure which of those two options was their best case scenario.

"He might be able to tell us who else is involved if we unlock his memories," Ginny theorized. "And maybe he'll be able to reveal himself once he's fully aware."

Hermione shook her head. "It's very rare that this charm is cast upon a being, but from what I've read, the subject of the charm cannot reveal his or herself. Only the caster and Secret-Keeper can."

The redhead sighed. "Great."

"But you're right, let's restore his memories - it's the least we can do for now," Hermione declared as she approached Dobby. "Brumski? Do you mind if we try another spell? I know this is probably very troublesome for you, and I apologize."

Dobby looked slightly hesitant, but glance briefly to his side before speaking. "Brumski says that all of this has scared him. I tried to convince him otherwise, Miss."

Ginny watched as Hermione breathed a bit deeply and sat down on the ground with her legs crossed. Following the other girl's lead, Ginny sat down on the ground in the same fashion and varied her glance between Hermione and the invisible house-elf. She sat patiently as Hermione gently asked Brumski questions about his current life and slowly tried to gain his trust - or at least the beginnings of it. If the smile on Dobby's face was any indication, Hermione's efforts appeared to be working.

A short while later, the redhead was nearing the end of her patience, her body itching to move, when Hermione broached the subject once more.

"Brumski, do you mind if I perform that spell on you? It's fine if you're not comfortable with it, though."

Dobby looked over at the empty space next to him and gave a series of small nods. A few moments of silence later, Dobby turned to Hermione and reached out a hand to change the angle of Hermione's hand and wand before giving her a small nod.

Ginny intently observed the unfamiliar blonde woman before her, subconsciously tensing up as Hermione took a deep, steadying breath - taking this as a sign of the impending memory restoration attempt.

However odd or perhaps inappropriate as it was, Ginny couldn't help but feel her heart flutter as she watched Hermione, despite the disguise, concentrating fixedly on the task at hand. She smiled fondly at the would-be brunette as she rotated her hand just so and streams of powdery blue light came out of her wand. However, Ginny quickly remembered the weight of the situation at hand when the spell made no contact of any sort until it hit the opposite wall.

"I either missed him entirely or I can't cast a spell on him at all," Hermione muttered, more to herself than to the others around her it seemed.

"It went right through him, Miss!" Dobby exclaimed as he peered curiously forward at the empty spot they were gathered around.

"Maybe Dobby can cast the spell on him," Ginny suggested, though the second the idea was out of her mouth she realized how silly it was. Dobby surely had some amount of magical skill, but it was highly doubtful that Dobby was capable of performing such high level magic. Before Ginny could say more, Dobby was profusely rejecting her suggestion.

"Hold on," Hermione said as she held up her hand in request for silence. "Dobby, you're the only one who can interact with Brumski in any way, I understand you don't want to perform the spell on your own, but perhaps you could help me. Cast it with me - please."

Ginny shifted her gaze to the nearly-cowering house-elf and just when she thought he'd outright refuse, he paused before giving the slightest nod.

"Y-yes, okay. For Harry Potter's friend," Dobby proclaimed. Hermione smiled encouragingly and he came around to stand beside her, the two now close in height with Hermione still sitting. Hermione lifted her wand once more and dobby put his small, frail hand over hers. The two exchanged a look and with a shared nod they cast the spell.

Subdued awe overcame Ginny as she saw the streams hit an invisible object that she could only assume was Brumski. Turning her attention back to Hermione, she frowned as she saw the look of increasing concentration on the girl's face - not the easy kind of concentration that Hermione so often channelled; this effort bordered on exertion and frustration.

Several more moments passed before, with a sharp intake of breath, Hermione dropped her hand into her lap, Dobby's hand falling to his side in the process. Hermione's shoulders heaved up and down, whether in frustration or from physical exertion, Ginny wasn't sure.

"I can't do it," Hermione stated tersely. "There's a lock on the charm - a very advanced series of locks, actually."

Ginny looked rapidly back and forth between invisible Brumski and Hermione as she tried to formulate a solution.

"Were you able to crack them at all?" Ginny asked tentatively.

Hermione gave an exaggerated shake of her head as she began to rummage through her bag. Ginny watched curiously as Hermione riffled through her bag until she pulled out the Referencia book along with a quill and ink. She quickly opened the book and jotted down a few words and moments later a series of results appeared. After some minor deliberation, Hermione selected a title and the book transformed before their eyes.

"Help me read," Hermione ordered as scooted closer to Ginny and lay the book across their touching knees. "Look for anything about unlocking a memory charm - anything other than the basics, at least." A thought crossed Hermione's mind as she looked up at Ginny. "Can we use a duplication spell on the book? So that it's easier to read?"

The redhead gave her a reluctant nod. "You'd just end up with one charmed book and one blank, average book. The duplication spell would only duplicate the book, not the charms."

Hermione released a frustrated sigh and redirected her attention to the book, opening it further on their legs for emphasis.

Ginny gave a curt nod as she let her eyes scan the page closest to her. It was certainly interesting, the two of them trying to read the same book at the same time. Ginny ended up reading content in the reverse order than it was intended, but it turned out quite well.

"What about that?" Ginny asked hopefully as she pointed to a paragraph on one of her pages a few minutes later.

Hermione leaned in and across to take a closer look and Ginny resisted the urge to tilt her own head forward to rest against the other girl's.

"Excellent work, Ginny," Hermione replied eagerly as she hurriedly underlined the section and closed the book. "I found a couple of other things as well, and I think they matched the issues that I was encountering," she announced as she readied her wand once more. "Brumski, do you mind if we try again?"

Dobby turned to Hermione and confirmed that Brumski was nervous, but okay with one more try.

"Thank you - okay," Hermione exhaled audibly as she straightened her posture and allowed Dobby to realign their aim - less adjustment required this time.

Ginny watched enraptured as they tried once more to restore Brumski's memories. The redhead's eyebrow went up as she saw the blue streams from Hermione's wand turn a pale pink, slowly growing into a deep red. Ginny shifted her gaze, towards Hermione, moving only her eyes as she was afraid that any movement would distract Hermione or Dobby. Sure enough, the older girl sat very erect, staring hard at the empty spot before her and appeared to be clenching her jaw rather strongly.

Suddenly, Dobby let out a yelp of surprise and abruptly reached out to the spot where Brumski was, but grasped only air.

"He's gone, Misses!" Dobby exclaimed.

A look of quiet alarm crossed Hermione's face, but she kept her composure.

"I must have unlocked too many memories at once," she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper as her eyes remained fixed on the open space before her. Hurriedly, she turned her gaze towards Dobby. "Dobby, please find him and bring him back. It's very important."

With a nod and a subsequent cracking sound, Dobby disapparated.

"Do you know what the memories were?" Ginny asked, watching Hermione intently.

The blonde shook her head. "No, it's not like Legilimency," she responded before sighing heavily, her posture falling rather limp.

Ginny reached out and put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze in an effort to comfort her.

"Dobby will get him back, it's okay, Mione. You should be proud, you cracked some major spells there. Just think, experts train for years for what you did in, what, ten minutes?" Ginny offered. "You're a natural."

Hermione shook her head once more, looking unimpressed. She was about to protest when Dobby appeared.

"I found him, Misses!" He announced eagerly as he appeared to be holding onto something that was, presumably, struggling.

"Dobby, what's he saying? Tell us everything," Hermione said in quiet urgency.

It was a task in itself, but eventually Dobby got Brumski to calm down and tell him everything that had just come flooding back. As Dobby began to tell them of Brumski's story, it was no wonder as to why the house-elf had freaked out.

"I'm afraid he was scared by you, Miss," Dobby tentatively relayed as he cautiously eyed Hermione. Upon seeing the shocked look on her face, Dobby explained, "You're blonde like her, you see."

Hermione held out a lock of her hair to examine and she clucked her tongue in disapproval. "Like Ms. Blake - I didn't even think of it."

"Merlin, me neither...," Ginny admitted as she admonished herself for not picking up on it sooner. Outside of the blonde hair though, Ginny had to say that she couldn't see any resemblance between the two women, but considering all that Brumski must have been going through, the correlation made sense.

"He's scared that Ms. Blake will come. He says she's a very bad person," Dobby said gravely. Hermione and Ginny immediately exchanged worried looks. Dobby went on. "Mr. Pius Thicknesse is innocent! He was set up by Ms. Blake," he insisted earnestly.

"How?" Hermione asked, suddenly breathless. Ginny shot Hermione another anxious look, but Hermione's eyes were trained on Dobby, nearly unblinking.

Dobby turned to Brumski for a moment before turning back, his expression very sombre. "Unforgivable curses, Miss. Imperius," he explained.

Ginny felt her chest tighten and she noted somewhere in the back of her mind how Hermione inhaled rather sharply.

"She controlled him," Dobby reiterated. "She has done many bad things. Mr. Thicknesse is not the first," he told them regretfully. "She wants to be Minister for Magic - will do anything! She is very crafty and has many fooled. Brumski wanted to tell the Minister - he is not a bad elf," Dobby protested, "he just didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"You're not a bad elf at all," Hermione asserted firmly with abundant compassion. "You did the right thing. We're here to help." Ginny watched quietly as Hermione's words got caught in her throat and she had to take a moment to steady herself. When she spoke, her voice was thick with emotion. "Ms. Blake has to go away for this. It's okay, now, Brumski. I'm so sorry this happened to you. But we'll fix things - I promise."

Dobby looked to the space next to him and nodded earnestly several times before speaking once more.

"When Ms. Blake found out that Brumski was going to go to the Minister, she cast the Fidelius Charm on him so nobody could find him. Then she removed his memories so he could not seek help."

Ginny wondered why Ms. Blake didn't do away with Brumski in a more permanent sense, but she dared not voice the question. Additionally, she noted that her theory on Brumski being able to reveal himself just proved to be regrettably false.

The redhead turned to Hermione to find her visibly upset despite having the telltale signs that she was trying to hold emotions back.

"Dobby," Hermione said, her voice tight. "Please take Brumski somewhere safe. We will go to the Ministry with this news, but we can't just yet. We have no evidence other than Brumski's testimonial, and right now you are the only one who can see or hear him. The Wizengamot will laugh in our faces if we show up like this."

Ginny reluctantly realized that Hermione was one hundred percent right. In fact, even if they fully restored Brumski to his previous, visible self, his testimonial alone would be a stretch as evidence against someone of Ms. Blake's stature.

"It was Ms. Blake watching you," Ginny stated dully as she stared at the wooden planks of the floor. It was an obvious statement and she was certain they both knew this long before, but it just needed to be said. Hermione didn't respond and after a moment Ginny raised her eyes to her girlfriend and saw from the look on her face that she knew the truth just as well.

"Brumski, do you know who the Secret-Keeper is?" Ginny asked, stifling the weary sigh that wanted to escape instead.

Dobby answered a moment later. "Ms. Blake, herself."

Ginny held back a sigh. While neither was a good option, not having another secret keeper had its own obstacles if they were going to undo the Charm.

"Brumski, do you have any idea of how we can get her to reveal you?" Ginny asked hopefully, though most of it was false. Ginny shifted her eyes to watch Dobby who was glancing to his right. Slowly, he shook his head.

Ginny leaned back on her hands and sighed heavily.

"What other evidence could we gather, Brumski?" Hermione asked.

Dobby and Brumski appeared to chat quietly back and forth to one another, the girls only hearing one side of the story, until Dobby turned to them. "The people she's put in Azkaban...the Ministry will not trust them. And the way that Ms. Blake conducted these crimes, she did not physically commit the crime, she got them to..."

"If we can get her wand, can't they read what spells she's done? They'll see," Ginny suggested.

Dobby nodded enthusiastically. "Miss Weasley is very smart. However, Ms. Blake has two wands - one for dark magic. She keeps it on her at all times and it is protected. Even Brumski couldn't take it from her."

Ginny gave a small shake of her head and eyed Hermione.

"Is there anything else we should know?" Hermione asked, her tone making it sound like she dreaded any more new information.

A second later Dobby shook his head woefully. "No, Miss. No more. Brumski is very upset..."

Hermione's brow furrowed in concern and she leaned forward slightly.

"Brumski, you did a very, very brave thing. Please don't worry - Dobby, myself, Ginny, and our friends will protect you. It's going to be okay," she promised once more. "Thank you for all your help, Brumski. Thank you."

A thought crossed Ginny's mind and she leaned forward to whisper to Hermione, knowing it looked very suspicious, but not wanting to scare Brumski furthermore.

"Shouldn't he stay here? What if Ms. Blake comes to check on him?"

Hermione gave a small, tentative shake of her head. "I really don't feel comfortable with that. It leaves him too vulnerable."

Ginny pulled back and gave a nod of agreement before offering Dobby and Brumski a small smile.

"Thank you, Brumski. Ms. Blake is going away for this," Ginny assured him.

"Dobby will keep in touch," Dobby announced. "And Dobby will take good care of Brumski," he promised earnestly.

"We have no doubts," Hermione smiled kindly. "Take care, both of you."  
A moment later, the shack was left with just Hermione and Ginny. An involuntary shiver ran through Ginny's body and she shook it out best she could.

"Merlin, just being in this place is giving me the creeps," Ginny muttered as she lifted herself off of the ground and dusted off the back of her pants. "Let's get out of here," Ginny said as she held her hand out to Hermione to help her up.

The redhead's eyes wandered a bit nervously around the shack, but were brought back to the hand she held in hers as she felt it shrink slightly. Glancing from the hand, upwards she saw Hermione transforming back into herself. The younger girl smiled gratefully.

"Thank goodness," she said, though laughing slightly as the clothes Hermione wore were now a tad too large. "Good timing," Ginny noted additionally. "I think Brumski would've had a fit if you morphed back in front of him. He's had a lot to deal with today."

Ginny felt Hermione give a shiver of her own and she squeezed the girl's hand gently.

"Let's just get out of here," Hermione stated quietly as her gaze fell to the floor.

Ginny took a quick look outside, it was dark out already and she honestly had no idea where they were.

"Hogwarts? Might be a bit tricky getting in at this time...maybe Harry's instead?" Ginny offered. She turned to find Hermione holding her hand out to her. She took it and a second later she found herself in the middle of a field, essentially nothing but nature to surround them - not even the sign of city lights in the distance, just the moon.

"We can't go back."

**AN**: Okay, so that's probably not how the Fidelius Charm or Secret-Keepers work lol, but that's how they're working in this story! Thanks for your cooperation ;) I hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

_**Ginny POV**_

"Wha-" Ginny asked as she spun around to examine her new surroundings, fresh from her joined apparition with Hermione.

"We can't go back...at least not tonight. I just don't want to go back to Hogwarts, or to Harry's," Hermione said a little glumly as she pointed her wand. "There's a lot to think about, and going back to the busy halls of Hogwarts is the last thing I want to do. I suppose Harry's would be okay, but...," she trailed off with a somewhat defeated shrug. She let out a small, shuddering sigh and with a swish of her wand bits of fabric began to appear before them, being raised and pulled in multiple directions.

"Huh?" Ginny started again as she examined the fabric unfolding. She chuckled as she realized what was going on. "A tent?" She exclaimed in amused disbelief. "You packed a tent?"

"Well, I have all the room in the world in this bag," Hermione replied a little shortly before immediately offering Ginny a look of apology. "Sorry, I just didn't know what to expect on this trip, and apparently I was right to have that mentality. And with Ms. Blake watching me-" Hermione cut herself off and her wand movements grew more urgent and hurried.

"Hey," Ginny said softly as she came up beside Hermione and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "We'll get through this - least we know now." The redhead's hand was lifted as Hermione heaved a heavy sigh.

"I suppose so," she sighed. "You were right about her," she admitted flatly before she narrowed her eyes and set her jaw. "I can't believe I fell for it at all."

"You're supposed to be able to trust your boss, and the Department Head of Magical Law Enforcement, of all people," Ginny said sardonically. "And like you said...she was nice to you...defended you...supported the reform."

Hermione inhaled angrily and seethed. "How dare she? I'll set things straight - put her in her place. If she thinks that she can get away with those crimes she's got another thing coming. And to do such a thing to poor Brumski. See! This is exactly why house-elves need more rights, more freedom! That vile, loathsome woman."

"Not that I don't agree completely with you, but do you have any idea why she would support the reform? If anything, she should be in adamant opposition," Ginny ventured while doing her best to mask her growing hesitation over fear of Hermione's reaction.

The brunette gave an angry flick of her wand and Ginny heard something slam into place inside the tent.

"There must be a catch. I'll figure it out, too," Hermione promised with fire in her eyes. "If the reform is successful, she'll get most of the credit for it, but you're right, **she** of all people wouldn't want this reform to happen in Britain," she nearly spat. "There's a catch, there has to be."

Though the youngest Weasley understood Hermione's fury and frustration, she knew that Hermione working herself into a frenzy wouldn't help the situation. The redhead brought a hand up and placed it gently, but firmly on Hermione's outstretched hand and gave her a pointed look. Hermione seemed to contemplate getting into a row over the action, but eventually forfeited the impulse with a weary sigh.

"I should've known," she muttered in self-reproach as she dropped her wand to her side. "I should've known," she repeated.

"No, Mione," Ginny argued sternly as she leaned forward to catch the other girl's eye. "She fooled the previous Head of Magical Law Enforcement for goodness sake," she exclaimed. "Merlin knows who else. There's no way that you could've known."

"I should've seen the signs," Hermione insisted as she met Ginny's gaze. Ginny refused to back down and Hermione seemed to swallow her argument and spoke. "I would've in any other case. I just didn't look too deeply into her because I was so concerned with the cause and was so preoccupied with all my other responsibilities, and honestly, she was one of the most supportive people in this movement."

"You couldn't have known and it's not your responsibility to. In fact, the Aurors should've been the ones to figure this out," Ginny remarked. Hermione shook her head and a brief silence fell over them.

"So what now?" Hermione asked finally.

"It'd be too good if we could get her to lift the Charm...so that's not going to happen," Ginny stated in a tone. "I guess we have to somehow get her wand? We should speak to Dumbledore. He'll know what to do."

Hermione gave a nod. "Right. Good idea. We can trust him," she stated. The underlying aggression in her proclamation didn't go unnoticed by the younger girl, but she chose not to comment on it.

"What if Scrimgeour is corrupt, too?" Hermione asked as she led the way into the tent.

"Mione, don't even-"

"Well?" Hermione rounded on her, her voice sharp. "We have to consider that possibility."

Ginny sighed heavily. "I don't know. We'll have to do some research. I think the boys might be helpful in finding out a little more about our current leaders," she ventured.

The brunette gave a subtle nod. "Yes, you're right. They're in the thick of it. But I don't want to drag them into this any further than I already have," she stated as a small frown formed on her face.

"Oh please," Ginny scoffed. "It'll be just like old times. You guys had an adventure nearly every year at Hogwarts, why stop now, right?" She teased. "Except this time it's kind of more like, 'Hermione Granger and the sleazy, underhanded bureaucrats'."

"Very funny, Gin," Hermione said with sarcastic smirk that Ginny knew was forced.

"We'll speak with Dumbledore," Ginny placated. She sighed inwardly as she saw that the comment made no impact on the brunette. "Are you wondering why he encouraged you to take the position if he knew about Ms. Blake?"

Hermione averted the redhead's gaze in a rather put off manner and crossed her arms, choosing not to respond.

"Maybe he didn't know," Ginny offered and quickly saw that Hermione was about to fight her on it, so she changed tracks. "You know Dumbledore, he has a reason for everything. Please don't doubt him. He's proven to us time and time again that he's good. You just said we can trust him."

"I know," Hermione relented. "I'm just upset. I feel so...stupid." In any other circumstance, Ginny would've laughed at how pained Hermione looked over saying the word 'stupid', but this really wasn't the time.

"You're far from stupid, Hermione. Everyone knows that," Ginny assured her gently. "Do you think Percy or anyone else knows that they could be on her radar as well?"

"No, I don't think so," the brunette replied as she shook her head, still looking quite cross.

"How do we warn them without alerting Ms. Blake? And how do we know they won't think you're mad? You can't tell Percy, he'd turn you in," Ginny scoffed with disdain.

"I guess that's another question for Dumbledore," Hermione sighed as she began to pace around the spacious tent.

"Okay," Ginny nodded.

A few moments passed and a heavy silence fell over the pair. Ginny knew that both their minds were reeling from today's revelations and she figured that it wouldn't do them any good to rehash everything over and over when there were no answers to be found just yet. She glanced over at the brunette and felt her heart ache over how distressed the older girl was. Ginny committed herself to a change of topic and mood. She crossed over to where Hermione stood and began fiddling with the bag resting against the brunette's waist.

"Hey, you got any food in here? I'm starving," she said as she tried to peer into the bag that Hermione was inadvertently moving away as she tried to peer at Ginny's meandering hands. The younger girl fixedly avoided the glare Hermione was certainly sending her way, soon confirmed by the brunette's harsh statement.

"How can you possibly think about food at a time like this?" Hermione snapped as she pulled sharply away.

Ginny slowly, calmly, looked at her girlfriend who looked much more inclined to stun the redhead than kiss her, and replied, "Well, starving to death isn't going to help anyone. We both need to eat - we haven't had anything all day."

Eventually, the brunette sighed and held the bag out in defeat.

"You and your stomach," she stated in an unimpressed tone that was eventually followed up with a chuckle and discrete smile - however reluctant they were.

"I'm starving!" Ginny exclaimed as she dug deeper in the bag, prompting Hermione to shake her head with a laugh. "What? I'm a growing girl who leads an active lifestyle; I need to maintain a healthy diet." She did her best not to smile, trying to stay true to her act as Hermione laughed harder.

"Are you kidding? You packed a tent, but you didn't bring any food? Where are your priorities!" Ginny blurted out dramatically, though her face broke out in a grin.

"Gin," Hermione admonished, though she swiftly placed her hands on Ginny's arms and pulled her into a tight hug. Ginny readily wrapped her arms protectively around Hermione as she felt the brunette bury her face against her neck. "I love you," Hermione whispered, her breath warm against Ginny's skin.

"I love you, too," Ginny confirmed earnestly. "You know that." She felt her girlfriend nod faintly against her. "We'll fix this - I promise. And if she even tries to pull anything more on you, I swear she'll regret it," she assured Hermione.  
"Gin," Hermione warned as she partially pulled out of the embrace.

Ginny didn't so much as flinch. Instead, she went on with unhindered conviction. "I'll do it, you know. If she ever hurts you..."

"Don't worry about me, Gin," Hermione urged as she brought a hand up to let her thumb trace along the redhead's chin. "I can handle myself," she added with a wink.

"I know, Love," Ginny relented to some degree. She felt compelled to say more to Hermione on this topic, but something told her that what was already said was sufficient.

"Anyways, I brought food," the brunette laughed as she took a step back and shook her head slightly. "You were just looking in the wrong compartment."

Suddenly, Hermione brightened up once more and let out a small laugh, though still noticeably forced. She walked up to Ginny and ushered the younger girl along, instructing, "Go outside. You start a fire and we'll have dinner. I'll set up some disillusionment charms around the area. Just give me a minute, I need to change."

"Can I watch?" Ginny teased, shooting a lecherous grin over her shoulder as she dug her heels in while Hermione pushed her outside. She knew it was inappropriate, but it could lighten the mood. The brunette huffed and leaned forward to catch Ginny's eye to flash her a flat look, but there was a lightness in her eyes that wasn't lost on the younger girl. Still, the answer was:

"No."

* * *

They sat outside around the campfire, sitting next to one another on a log, both under an unspoken agreement to not bring up anything about Ms. Blake or related topics. Having finished their dinner, they just chatted about anything that came to mind - other than those taboo topics. Eventually a comfortable lull formed in their conversation and they both just looked into the fire, Hermione with her head on Ginny's shoulder.

Ginny's mind started to idly wander and a song popped into her head. Before she truly realized it, she was quietly humming the tune.

"What are you humming?" Hermione asked, not lifting her head off of the redhead's shoulder.

Ginny let a gentle smile play across her lips and she started to hum with a bit more enthusiasm. Soon she started to sway back and forth, the action causing Hermione to sit up. The brunette laughed and repeated her question.

The young Weasley readily ignored Hermione and began to sing. She slung her arm around Hermione's waist in an effort to get her to sway in time with the song as well. As she fully anticipated, Hermione responded haughtily and shook her head profusely, though a set of giggles slipped out.

"Come on, Mione, sing along," Ginny encouraged the other girl as she herself, began to sing louder.

"No," Hermione exclaimed, sounding oddly offended. "I don't even know the words or the tune," she objected furthermore.

The redhead was unfazed by the rebuff and simply gave a shrug of her shoulders.

"That's okay, dance with me, then," she smiled as she stood and pulled a reluctant Hermione to her feet.

"No, Gin!" Hermione protested, though a laugh escaped her mouth and a broad grin that she was trying very hard to diminish broke out across her lips.

Entirely undeterred and instead encouraged by Hermione's arguably uptight behaviour, Ginny began to sing rather unabashedly and swiftly pulled the brunette into a dance.

"Gin!" Hermione exclaimed again, though she let herself she pulled in circles and was by now nearly doubling over in laughter.

"You're doing great," Ginny cheered as she raised her hand to spin Hermione, before pulling the girl back into the embrace and leading them into a few more steps.

Eventually their laughter died down and, mercifully, Ginny had entirely ceased singing. They held each other close and slow danced with one another, no sounds other than the crackling fire and the night wind to court them. Ginny rested her head on Hermione's shoulder, as Hermione did with Ginny, and they carried on in silence.

After a while longer, the younger girl spoke softly - tentative about disturbing the moment.

"I've never danced with you before."

A moment later, Hermione responded, "You're right. I never realized."

"Merlin knows I wanted to dance with you before," Ginny said as she flashed back to the Yule Ball. "You looked so beautiful that night," she commented, still lost in her flashback.

"Hm?"

"Oh, the Yule Ball," Ginny explained. "Merlin, I hated Victor Krum," she continued with a soft laugh that wasn't entirely genuine, the pain from that night still surprisingly vivid.

"I'm sorry," Hermione offered as she gently caressed Ginny's back.

"Don't apologize," the younger girl stressed. "Everything happened for a reason. That was the night I realized just how much I liked you as **more** than a friend," she remarked.

"Gin," Hermione started, her voice soft and apologetic.

"No, it's a good thing," Ginny assured her. She shifted her gaze to glance at the brunette whose head was still resting on her shoulder, her face periodically being cast in the flickering glow of the fire as they continued to slowly turn in their dance. "And you look even more beautiful tonight than you did then."

Hermione let out a laugh of embarrassment and buried her head in the crook of Ginny's neck. "Highly unlikely," she deadpanned.

"I'm serious," Ginny said earnestly. "You're so beautiful."

She felt Hermione give a small shake of her head before saying, "No, nothing like you."

"Come off it," the redhead insisted with a small laugh.

"I'm serious," Hermione insisted. "And thank you for agreeing to this whole tent and campfire thing. It's wonderful."

"Hey, it's just as nice for me as it is for you," Ginny offered.

"No, really. And you've been so incredible throughout this entire thing. You've been absolutely amazing – I wouldn't have gotten through half of it without your support."

"Oh Mione," Ginny laughed. "My ego is going to be the size of Jupiter if you keep this up."

"It isn't already?"

"Hey!" The redhead protested, suppressing a laugh.

"You know I'm just kidding," Hermione said softly as she began rubbing Ginny's back in a comforting gesture.

Hermione lifted her head off of Ginny's shoulder, and soon one of the older witch's hands came up to cup Ginny's face, and the two stopped moving.

"I love you," Hermione said, her eyes searching Ginny's before kissing her softly, yet passionately. "So much," she added as she pulled out of the kiss.

"I love you, too," Ginny smiled. "Can you believe how incredibly misguided we were in fifth and sixth year?" She asked with a laugh and a shake of her head.

The question seemed to physically pain the brunette and she grimaced momentarily. "I really don't like to think about it," she admitted. "The whole thing was so...ridiculous. Again, mostly, if not all, my fault."

Ginny went to reassure the older witch, but was promptly cut off.

"Just the thought of how things could've continued to go astray...it's just, I don't want to think about it," Hermione continued, her eyes cast down. "To think that I would never kiss you, or get to hold you, or that we'd never have moments like this...it's just horrible, honestly."

"Shhh," Ginny voiced as she leaned forward and kissed Hermione's forehead in an effort to relieve the girl's distress. "Don't worry about it. Everything worked out, and we're here, and we're together, and we can just be thankful for it," Ginny quietly assured her. She chuckled lightly. "We've been over this..."

"You're right," the brunette said, perking up a bit and finally meeting Ginny's gaze and offering her a smile, though the unshed tears in her eyes that she was attempting to blink back did not go unnoticed by the younger girl, who leaned in once more to kiss the brunette's forehead.

Hermione's smile grew and she hugged Ginny before pulling back and saying, "I think it's quite late, we should probably try to sleep."

The younger girl nodded her assent and the girls put out the fire and headed for the tent. Ginny entered first, as Hermione wanted to put up an additional protection spell around the tent for good measure. Settling herself into the small bed, Ginny waited soundlessly for her girlfriend, listening absently to the incantations the brunette could be heard chanting from outside the tent.

"That should do it," Hermione proclaimed as she entered the tent, zipping it up behind her.

Ginny smirked. "I think we're fine."

"Excuse me," the older girl said in mock irritation as she slipped out of her clothes and slid into bed, facing away from Ginny, clad in only her panties, "I'd rather be more careful than not careful enough."

"I know, Love," Ginny said tiredly as she spooned up against Hermione, smiling at the feel of the older girl's warm body against her own. She wrapped an arm around her, planting a single kiss on the back of the brunette's exposed shoulder. "Goodnight."

"Night, Gin."

**AN**: Hello everyone! A little bit more fluff this time around - I figured it was only fair after the tone of the last chapter or so. Thank you all again for taking the time to continue reading this story :p Enjoy the rest of your week!


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

_**Hermione POV**_

"This is very serious, indeed," Dumbledore replied as he brought a hand up to his bearded chin, deep in thought.

Hermione and Ginny shared a look from the chairs that they sat in opposite the Headmaster.

"I never did like her," he noted in a light voice. "I must congratulate you two on a spectacular find."

Hermione did her best to not get riled up over Dumbledore's, in her opinion, inappropriate response toward this startling revelation. She waited for him to speak, but he did not, he just glanced between her and Ginny.

"What should we do, Professor?" She asked, trying not to sound irritated or impatient.

"I'm afraid you are correct in stating that as things stand, we don't have much of a case to present to the Wizengamot," he admitted. He turned to Hermione and the look in his eyes unnerved the young brunette. "Are you sure you have to go back to Paris?"

Despite suddenly having trouble catching her breath, Hermione responded with a nod, "Yes, Sir, I believe I do."

"You said you performed anti-detection spells before restoring Brumski's memories?" He asked in confirmation, his bushy white brows furrowing in concentration.

"Yes, Sir, I did."

He nodded as he studied his desk. "Okay." He looked back up and continued. "For now, I would suggest you maintain the status quo. It sounds like she is keeping a close eye on you and possibly others, so do your best to not attract unwanted attention. Until we have more solid evidence on her, she is better as a friend than foe."

Hermione subconsciously gulped spurring Dumbledore to smile kindly at her.

"But keep in mind, despite her leverage in the Ministry, she is merely human, and like all humans she can fall," he proclaimed with a nod. Though his words were comforting, Hermione was still filled with great doubt and worry.

"Professor McGonagall and I will look into matters and see what we can do, so for now, please do not fret," he smiled. "Besides, you are both very clever girls and I'm sure you both know that battles are fought with more than just wands. We'll find more soon."

Hermione forced herself to smile in acceptance and he smiled back with that familiar twinkle in his eye.

"And if all else fails, I'm positive that Miss Weasley would be more than willing to offer an extraordinary hex."

Hermione looked over at her girlfriend and they shared a quiet laugh.

"Gladly, Sir," Ginny responded as she glanced over and smirked at Hermione. The two rose from their seats and offered the Headmaster a nod of thanks.

"Take care, both of you," Dumbledore said, slightly more serious than Hermione would have liked. She thanked him, regardless, and promised that she would.

As she and Ginny left the Headmaster's quarters and walked down the corridors Ginny turned to her in concern.

"Are you okay?"

Hermione let out a nervous breath, but nodded. "Yeah. Still a little unsure, though. And being told to not do anything doesn't really help," she admitted. The redhead gave her a knowing nod and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.

"It'll be okay, Mione. If Dumbledore and McGonagall are involved, they'll get something more on Ms. Blake for sure," she said with a brightness that Hermione knew was merely for her own benefit.

"Yeah," she sighed.

"So, what's the plan?" Ginny asked.

"Like Dumbledore said, we stay the course," Hermione replied a bit impatiently as she shot a look towards her girlfriend.

"I meant tonight," Ginny replied with exaggerated patience as she looked pointedly at the brunette.

"Oh," Hermione responded a bit embarrassed. "Um, I'm not really sure..."

"Maybe we could stay at Harry's," Ginny suggested. "I want to spend the night with you and we can't really, here."

"Ginny, you have class in the morning," Hermione replied in a tone that it seemed only Ginny could begin to appreciate.

"Oh, Merlin," the redhead muttered with a soft chuckle as she rolled her eyes. "I'll come back in time for class, don't worry. You said your portkey leaves really early tomorrow anyway, right?"

"True," Hermione relented with moderate reluctance. She didn't want Ginny's studies to suffer on account of this, but another night with the redhead did sound lovely.

"Then it's settled," Ginny replied with a decisive nod.

* * *

"Hi Harry," Hermione greeted as she hugged the boy-who-lived. "Thanks for letting us stay here."

"Never a problem. Glad you guys are safe," Harry smiled. "I was worried when I found out that Ms. Blake was back."

"Wh-She's back?" Hermione asked, taken aback.

"Yeah," Harry frowned. "Ministry business. Something unrelated though," he promised.

Hermione shared a look with Ginny, both girls clearly sceptical.

"Odd timing, don't you think?" Ginny asked as she cocked an eyebrow and delivered a side-long glance towards Hermione; the meaning behind it was not lost on the brunette.

"Do you know how long she's going to be here for?" Hermione asked, though she wasn't really sure which answer she was hoping for just yet.

"I guess as long as it takes to sort this issue out, but I've heard a couple of days," Harry answered.

Hermione caught Ginny's eye once more and the brunette sighed heavily.

"Is Brumski safe? Do you know?" She asked.

"Brumski is fine, Misses."

Hermione spun around to see Dobby standing in the doorway, the house-elf gesturing to an empty space next to him.

"You brought Brumski, here?" Hermione asked him.

"Where would be safer, Miss?" Dobby asked. The young witch couldn't help but smirk at how the question was clearly rhetorical in Dobby's eyes. "Grimmauld Place is undetectable and Harry Potter is here," he explained.

Ginny laughed gently. "Both very good points, Dobby."

"You don't mind, do you?" Hermione asked as she turned to Harry, who was already shaking his head, sending his unruly hair into a further mess.

"Of course not. Brumski is more than welcome."

Hermione smiled gratefully before continuing on to her next topic. "You and Ron will be careful, won't you? Who knows what that foul woman has in store for any of us," she warned.

"We're always careful," Harry replied facetiously. He averted her scrutinizing and disbelieving gaze rather successfully. She was about to emphasize her point further when Ginny chimed in.

"They'll be fine, Mione. They can take care of themselves," she consoled in a patronizing manner. Hermione shot her an accusing look, but the redhead was unfazed and just smirked back. The brunette didn't feel up to the task of scolding either Harry or Ginny further and just sighed in defeat while crossing her arms.

"Come on, Mione," Ginny said in that same patronizing manner, now taunting Hermione with it. "We have an early morning tomorrow, we should get some sleep." Ginny began to pull a reluctant Hermione out of the dining room and towards the stairs. Glancing over her shoulder at Harry, Ginny called out, "Thanks again, Harry. You're coming to the next game, right? The scouts'll be there. You can say that you were there the day that the Great Ginny Weasley was fawned over by countless teams." Hermione scoffed in the redhead's ear - Ginny ensured the action went unacknowledged.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Harry laughed.

A while later, as Ginny and Hermione were settling into bed, Ginny piped up, "Hey, at least Ms. Blake won't be there when you get back."

"I suppose," Hermione sighed as she pulled the covers up and tucked them up under her chin. She smiled as Ginny cuddled in.

"Don't worry," Ginny insisted. "We'll figure everything out."

"I know," Hermione replied as she wrapped an arm around the younger girl. Hermione didn't fully believe her own words just yet, but she knew that Ginny was right. They just had to find a way - and as history showed, they always did. She leaned down and lay a soft, lingering kiss on the top of Ginny's head, inhaling the sweet smell of the girl's shampoo. Hermione smiled into the kiss and Ginny snuggled in even closer.

"I love you, Gin," Hermione whispered, keeping her lips close to her girlfriend's head. "Thank you for everything." She was surprised when she felt Ginny's finger poke her side. "Ow!" Hermione exclaimed as she pulled back and shot a glare towards the redhead. "What was that for?"

"You keep acting like I'm blessing you with my presence," Ginny smirked. "We're in this together," she proclaimed.

"Oh," Hermione gave her a look of mock surprise. "You mean the Great Ginny Weasley wants to be treated like an equal? Like a mere mortal?"

Ginny let out a chortling laugh and buried her face in Hermione's shoulder. "Go to sleep, you."

* * *

After a reluctant goodbye, Hermione put her hand to the portkey and felt herself being whisked away back to Paris. She landed with a sigh, ignoring the other portkey travelers as she did so.

Immediately upon arrival, she noticed a group of officials from the French Ministry - specifically, Aurors. She looked at her fellow portkey travelers and they looked about as concerned as she did. She was about to step forward to speak to one of the Aurors to ask what was going on when they made the first move. She glanced quickly behind her, trying to see who they were eyeing. She grew more puzzled as they walked urgently in her direction.

"What seems to be the problem?" She asked as she stepped towards them. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Expelliarmus!" One of them bellowed and she felt her wand being ripped from her, her jaw dropping in the process.

"What is the meaning of this," she demanded as she continued towards them, now hastening her steps into a purposeful, indignant march.

She would have gasped, had her body allowed it, as she was placed under a body-binding curse. She watched, paralyzed, as they surrounded her - physical restrictions doing nothing to repress the feeling of horror that rapidly rose inside of her.

"Hermione Granger, you are accused of the following violations of wizarding law: you are believed to have performed numerous counts of illegal Memory Modification charms upon several Parisian witches and wizards, coupled with illegal Emotion Modifications upon the same individuals. Until further notice you will be held in detention at Laurophey - we will escort you there. Upon arrival, please surrender all of your belongings. You will stand before the courts tomorrow morning at 0800 hours."

All Hermione could do was watch.

**AN**: A bit of a shorter chapter, but I figured that was appropriate. This update may have spurred some further questions, but I promise they will be answered...eventually - actually fairly soon. Thanks again to everyone for their feedback and support!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny slowly walked down the stairs from her dorm to the common room, not overly eager for this day to start. She had tried to contact Hermione last night, but guessed that Hermione was busy or had gone to sleep early. Merlin knew that the brunette hadn't been sleeping well recently.

As Ginny reached the bottom of the stairs, she was puzzled by the presence of Professor McGonagall, who stood very erect by the portrait hole. She made eye contact with the elderly professor and knew instantly that she was there to speak with her. She reluctantly approached the professor who had not dropped her gaze, a feeling of mounting dread building inside of Ginny. Before she could think of anything too serious, she remembered the pranks she played on a few of the fifth years late last week and figured this could be regarding that.

"_Little prats_," Ginny thought - she'd get them back good.

"Come with me, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall summoned in her most authoritative voice. Ginny wordlessly obliged as curious eyes watched on.

The redhead trudged along behind the professor as they navigated their way through the halls. As they walked, Ginny couldn't help but notice the quiet murmurings that were scattered throughout the corridors as students were huddled together. She spotted some pointing in interest at something in the Daily Prophet. Suddenly, a feeling of realization began to develop inside of Ginny - whatever McGonagall was seeing her about was bigger than a few harmless pranks. As they walked past McGonagall's office and towards the too-familiar gargoyle statue that led to Dumbledore's quarters, this theory was confirmed.

The two hadn't spoken at all since their small journey began, but now that they statue was slowly granting them access to the exclusive office, Professor McGonagall spoke and her uneasy tone made the young Weasley's pulse quicken in apprehension.

"I will let Albus speak with you more thoroughly, but I regret to say that it's regarding bad news. However, we wanted you to hear it from us rather than a biased article or from loose-lipped students."

Questions cascaded through Ginny's mind and just when she opened her mouth to speak, light from Dumbledore's office shone on them and Ginny's attention was drawn inward. She cautiously stepped forward, further ushered by McGonagall, and she watched silently as the Headmaster stood in his office, examining Fawkes. Ginny stood stiffly in the middle of the room, waiting with surprising patience as Dumbledore slowly turned towards her. Deep down she knew that this patience was nothing more than overwhelming dread over what was to be revealed.

"Good morning, Miss Weasley, Minerva," he said politely, though Ginny observed that he was much more subdued than usual.

"Hello, Professor," Ginny reciprocated and she took a tentative step forward before forcing herself to ask the question to which she most certainly wouldn't like the answer. "Professor...what's wrong?"

Dumbledore let out an uncharacteristic sigh before turning to hold his arm out towards one of the chairs. "Please, have a seat, Miss Weasley."

"No thank you," Ginny insisted, not letting her gaze leave Dumbledore. "Please, Professor, tell me what's happening," Ginny requested, her voice tight with worry though she struggled to remain composed and steady.

Dumbledore gave her a tiny smile, his eyes kind, and yielded. "Very well." He paused to reach for a copy of the paper that lay on his desk. "I'm afraid Miss Granger is in a great deal of trouble," he announced regretfully as he extended his arm across the desk and offered her the paper.

Ginny felt her senses dull as Dumbledore's words shook her. She absently shuffled over towards him and gingerly took the paper from his hand and held it up in her own trembling ones.

"Promising Ministry Intern Arrested: Illegal Memory and Emotion Modifications Performed On Dozens"

Ginny unknowingly held her breath as her eyes rapidly flitted from side to side as she scanned through the article. According to this source, Hermione was apprehended upon her arrival in Paris and brought to the French version of Azkaban, where she'd be held while she awaited trail. The article claimed that Hermione had performed these illegal spells on the house-elf owners and members of importance at Beauxbatons in an effort to garner their support for the reform she so passionately supported. The article made sure to include the price that Hermione would pay if she were found guilty - Ginny urgently wished to skip over it for fear of what she'd discover, yet couldn't help but get caught on the words 'years of imprisonment'. The person who tipped off the French Ministry to these crimes was none other than Ms. Vivian Blake - now revered for another capture of a corrupt Ministry official.

Suddenly, Ginny found herself breathing heavily and very quickly - she just couldn't catch her breath. She looked up helpless at Dumbledore and McGonagall intermittently.

"How? What?" She stammered before she looked down at the article again in panic, as if it had changed or would have some new answers. She closed her eyes so she no longer had to look at the image of Hermione being hauled away by the Aurors. "We have to do something," she said urgently, her voice shaking, as she took an insistent step towards Dumbledore. He watched her quietly with sad eyes, but said nothing. "Come on," she cried as she dropped her hands to her sides, the paper rustling as she did so. "Hermione would never do these things! She was framed!"

"We know, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said gently as she held up a hand to silence the young student. "But you have to understand, we have no power over there. Miss Granger is being tried under French jurisdiction."

"So!" Ginny yelled. "Dumbledore," she beseeched, "Please, after what we told you the other day about Ms. Blake - she's behind this. Please, there must be something we can do."

He slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't until we gather more evidence to discredit her," he said regretfully and in a way that Ginny knew was meant to inspire patience and understanding.

Ginny sniffled as her frustration and a jumble of other emotions began to overwhelm her. She looked down at the article once more and the image of her love being hauled away like an animal nearly killed her inside. Her eyes flashed up to Dumbledore as rage overtook her heartbreak.

"You're supposed to be the greatest wizard in all of Europe!" She cried. "And you can't do anything! You lied to us! You said that Hermione would be fine, that she would be safe!" She felt tears brimming in her eyes and she stared expectantly at the Headmaster who did nothing. "Well she's not!" Ginny yelled as she threw the paper down on the ground with all of her might - it didn't hit with near enough force and she felt unsatisfied by her outburst.

For the first time in a long time, Ginny began to cry.

There was a heavy silence in the room, only interrupted by Ginny's uncontrollable sniffling and the odd sob. She violently shrugged off Professor McGonagall's hand as it came to rest on her shoulder. She knew it was a gesture of comfort, but Ginny was well aware that it would just make her breakdown even further if she accepted it.

"I know you're very upset, Ginny," Dumbledore said gently, "but I promise you that we will get Hermione out of there safe and sound. She hasn't been found guilty yet, though I'm afraid as her trial is going on right now, she will find herself convicted..."

Ginny inhaled sharply in a particularly strong sob, which she fiercely silenced a moment later.

"Minerva and I will do everything that we can to help Hermione's situation. But please take comfort in the fact that they will not put Hermione in the level with the Dementors. Compared to the Unforgivable Curses, the accused crimes are minor," he continued.

"You'll take care of things," Ginny scoffed angrily as she wiped away her fallen tears before glaring at Dumbledore, only half believing that she was exploding in such a way at him. "That's what you said before and look where it got her!"

Without another thought, Ginny spun on her heel and stormed towards the staircase.

"Miss Weasley-"

She ignored both Dumbledore and McGonagall's pleas and soon found herself tearing off her school robes that were billowing madly around her as she hurried down the corridors. She cast them carelessly aside and broke out into a run, her mind quickly determining what she should do. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice as something appeared in front of her and she tripped over it and went sprawling onto the ground. Gathering her senses, she snapped her head back to glower at the thing that got in her way only to find herself face to face with a very anxious Dobby.

"Dobby is sorry, Misses," he said meekly. "He did not know you were going so quickly."

Ginny shook out her head and looked back to him, her demeanour softening dramatically. "No, it's fine. Are you okay, Dobby? I didn't see you in time."

"Dobby is fine, Misses," he said glumly. "But he is here to deliver bad news." His large eyes suddenly looked very watery.

"I already know about Hermione," Ginny sighed as she stood and dusted herself off.

"No, Miss," he said quietly. "There's more." Ginny slowly eyed him, waiting silently for him to go on. "It's Brumski, Miss. He's gone!"

"What!" Ginny exclaimed. "How? Where? You can't find him?"

"Dobby tried to apparate to him," Dobby said in a frail voice, backing away from Ginny and she instantly felt remorse over her outburst - it wasn't his fault. "But he's in a place that even Dobby can't apparate to. There's a magical barrier of some sort. Very strong," he said sorrowfully as he shook his head. "Dobby is sorry."

Ginny shook her head in exasperation over the news, but found it in her to try to offer Dobby some reprieve. "No, Dobby, don't apologize. It's not your fault." Though he didn't argue, Ginny could tell he was far from convinced. Normally she'd try further to comfort him, but right now her thoughts were elsewhere.

"Ms. Blake," Ginny growled as she seethed. She frowned and asked in frustration, "But I thought Brumski couldn't be reached if he was in Grimmauld Place. I thought the Fidelius Charm protected him from detection there."

"Not if he was still under Ms. Blake's ownership, Miss," Dobby explained. "Perhaps he was never truly freed."

Ginny brought a hand up to her forehead, the sound of the contact echoing through the corridor. "Of course," she muttered in self-reproach. "Why would we think that Ms. Blake would actually free him." She sighed gruffly. "So, I'm guessing Ms. Blake somehow figured out that Brumski's memories had been restored and she summoned him back - and now he's being held prisoner." Just the word 'prisoner' made Ginny weak, and the word got caught in her throat as she said it. She shook her head, finding herself fighting back tears once more and entirely unsure of what to do.

"Where's Harry, Dobby?"

"He's at the Ministry, Miss. But he says to wait for him at Grimmauld Place. He will come home at lunch to see you."

Ginny huffed angrily, not over the request, but just the situation in general. Again, she swallowed the emotion that threatened to rise once more and she silently nodded her assent.

"Sure. I'll be there," she said in a terse voice. Dobby nodded quietly and a moment later he disappeared.

Releasing a weary sigh, Ginny walked back towards Gryffindor Tower to gather her things. She sure as Hell wasn't going to any classes today, she'd stop off in Diagon Alley to see Fred and George first then go to Harry's. This was such a mess.

She could only begin to imagine how Hermione must be feeling right now - just the thought, the unfathomable thought, of Hermione being accused, apprehended, and locked away...it just tore Ginny to shreds. Things like this don't happen, and they **especially** don't happen to Hermione...Despite her efforts, Ginny just couldn't wrap her mind around this.

As she walked along, the murmurs of other students rang painfully in her ears and she gritted her teeth as she forged on. She absently noted how the students parted for her as she walked in brisk strides through the middle of the corridor. She tried mightily to disregard the words that filtered into her ears as she walked, but it was getting increasingly difficult.

"I always knew she was too 'perfect'. She'll be locked away for sure – good riddance."

Ginny came to an abrupt halt as she heard Astoria's mocking voice and derisive laughter, accompanied by the snickers of the girl's friends. Slowly turning her head, she saw Astoria and her friends examining the article in amusement. A moment later, Ginny found herself holding Astoria against the wall, her wand pushing sharply against the girl's neck. Ginny vaguely noted how all the activity in the corridor had stilled. All she could hear was Astoria's whimpers and her own heart beating loudly in her ears, her breathing heavy, jagged and uneven.

Any other time, Ginny would've had a series of wands pointed right back at her, but something must have been different in this instance because nobody moved an inch. A few tense moments passed and Ginny's breathing began to even out. Her grasp on the girl slackened as she backed away, though still holding the wand out towards the girl.

"Go," Ginny said in a dangerous voice, still eyeing the girl darkly.

Without any retaliation, Astoria scurried off, her friends close in tow, though all shooting nervous glances back towards the redhead.

"Flamin' mad," she heard Astoria sniffle and excited murmuring started up again in the corridor.

With a shuddering breath, Ginny turned and hurried off to the Tower once more. She had to get out of here.

* * *

"Ginny?"

The redhead shot up out of the chair she had been sitting in and rushed over to see Harry and Ron. She surprised herself with the emotions that quickly bubbled up inside of her, but righted herself immediately and the three eyed each other apprehensively for a moment before any of them spoke.

"You alright?" Ron asked tentatively.

Ginny let out an empty laugh. "Yeah. Right. I'm bloody fantastic."

"Fair enough," he mumbled. "I'm going to kill that Ms. Blake," he seethed.

"Not if I get to her before you," Ginny said with equal fervour. "Is she still in London?" She wasn't actually intending to go kill her this very second, but she wanted to know the woman's whereabouts.

"No," Harry answered. "She went to Paris for Hermione's trial."

Ginny exhaled furiously and nearly found herself firing a violent spell against the wall, but managed to restrain herself at the last second.

"I need to see Hermione," she demanded.

"They won't let you see her, mate," Ron responded hesitantly, obviously afraid of his sister's wrath being unleashed upon him.

"Why not," she demanded once more. "She's not a murderer. Dumbledore even said that she wouldn't be with the Dementors."

"True," Harry conceded, "But they won't let her have visitors yet."

"Well, when?"

"Depends on how the trial goes," he replied regretfully. Ginny sighed in teeming frustration.

"We have to get her out - this is completely mad!" She exclaimed, feeling her cool slipping away.

"Ginny," Harry countered firmly as he eyed her with conviction, "we have no power there. They won't let us visit her, and we'd be taken out within moments if we even began to try to break her out, and even a Patronus can't get within the walls of the facility. I know you don't want to hear it, and I hate it too, but there's nothing we can do this very second."

Ginny felt herself nearly bursting with exasperation and before she knew it she had spun on her heel and was stomping towards the fireplace. "Forget you both! I'll do it myself!"

"Ginny." The commanding voices of her brother and Harry echoed in her ears and willed her to stop, but she refused to turn around to face them. She merely straightened her shoulders and did her best to swallow her anger, frustration, but most of all, the helplessness that had overcome her. She took in a large steadying breath and held it in her lungs as the impalpable silence seemed to grow stronger. After what felt like ages, she sighed heavily. "I just can't believe this," she commented as she turned sullen. "I should've never let Hermione go back to Paris."

"Hey, it's not your fault," Ron said gently as he came over and put a hand on her shoulder. "And even if she had stayed here, they would've come for her eventually," he said, though he seemed to know that the notion may or may not be comforting.

"Well, I should've known that something was up ages ago," Ginny argued further. "How do you think Ms. Blake did it? Imperius Curse? Stole her wand? What?" She rattled off.

"Imperius Curse, I'd reckon," Ron guessed. "Considering what happened with Pius."

Ginny lifted a hand to her head and let it fall against her palm, sighing once more. "Maybe that's why she was so exhausted all the time. I don't think she put the curse on Mione during the day...must've been at night or something...somehow," Ginny theorized. "Hermione had no idea though, so I'm guessing the vile wench put memory charms on Mione to keep her in the dark."

"Sounds plausible," Harry agreed. "We just have to find a way to prove it. And I take it Dobby told you about Brumski?"

"Yes," Ginny huffed. "Where do you think she took him?"

"Her manor, I would guess," Harry stated. "Dobby already checked the shack that she'd been housing him in prior and it was empty."

"Yeah, that's what he told me," Ginny said flatly. Her shoulders fell. "So now our only witness is being held in a magical prison in her manor. That's bloody brilliant."

"Well, don't get too down," Ron smirked and Ginny was about to explode at him when he continued on, "It's me, you, and Harry. Plus Fred and George if we need 'em. And we're all used to getting into trouble - this is a great excuse to get our hands dirty. I'm up for a bit of mischief, what about you, Harry?" He asked lightly.

"Always," Harry replied in the same manner. Ginny had to chuckle, however reluctantly. "We'll get her back," Harry promised as he rubbed Ginny's arm comfortingly. She smiled gratefully at him and her brother.

"And Dad's trying to look into things too," Ron added.

"Thanks," she muttered quietly as she kicked absently at the hardwood. She looked up to the boys with hollow hope in her eyes. "So, I can't see her?" They shook their heads. "Can I write to her, at least?" They shook their heads once more and she sighed in defeat. "Well how am I supposed to find out what's happening?"

"Newspaper, unfortunately," Ron said while making an apologetic face.

"And we'll see what we can find out at the Ministry - we'll let you know any updates as soon as we can," Harry promised.

"So, was everyone being watched, or just Hermione?" Ginny asked as the possibility popped into her mind.

"From the looks of it, just Hermione," Harry replied regretfully. He went on, likely seeing that Ginny was going to ask why. "Well, from what we learned from Brumski, Ms. Blake does away with anyone she deems a threat - hence competition like Pius," he explained.

"So," Ginny said incredulously as she cut Harry off. "Hermione's an intern for Merlin's sake - in France, no less!"

"Yes," Harry replied with exaggerated patience, "but she was specifically requested by the Minister, himself."

"She was?" Ginny asked as she cocked an eyebrow. Hermione never told her that.

Ron nodded. "Yeah. And the Minister's been raving about how well Hermione's been doing on this project - apparently he had big plans for her once the project wrapped up."

"But Hermione said that she's never spoken with Scrimgeour since the interview," Ginny protested. "And, well, half of the opportunities that Hermione came across in France came from Ms. Blake. Like how she developed the revised assessment and whatnot."

Harry shrugged apologetically.

"Set up from the beginning" Ginny stated flatly. "That loathsome snake," she sneered before letting out a harsh scoff. "And I don't suppose that liking for Hermione would convince the Minister to believe her over Ms. Blake, hm?" The boys simply looked at her, their expressions showcasing that they didn't believe that comment warranted a response.

"You're welcome to stay here, Ginny," Harry offered. "We have to get back, despite what we just said, we imagine that Ms. Blake's keeping a close eye on us now. If you do go back to Hogwarts though, don't send any owls, we either talk through the floo or in person. But honestly, even the floo might not be safe if she's got it monitored."

"Right," Ginny sighed. "I'm not going back to bleeding Hogwarts," she declared with a roll of her eyes. "Not until I find out a bit more anyway. Once tomorrow's paper comes out we'll know more and can figure out where to go from there," she said and the boys nodded in return.

"Thanks, guys," she said as she hugged both boys quickly.

"No problem. See you tonight, then."

Dual flashes of green later, the boys were gone and Ginny trudged over towards the chair she had been seated in earlier. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life. She had to go see Mione - she could only imagine how frightened Hermione must be. The whole situation was absolutely bonkers, and the fact that Hermione was completely isolated would only make matters worse. Ginny sighed as her mind reasoned with her, it was true, she couldn't see Hermione - there was no way she could get past security. She'd have to be patient and that was one virtue that Ginny Weasley tended to be notably lacking in.

"Mione..."

**AN**: Hi everyone! Don't worry, they won't be hanging back and waiting forever! Anyways, now you finally know what the opening scene from Chapter 1 was all about. Thank you to everyone for your support - it means a lot.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

_**Hermione POV**_

"Hermione Granger, you stand before the courts accused of performing several illegal memory and emotion modification charms on innocent civilians. If you are found guilty of these charges, you will be sentenced to five years in prison with no chance for appeal."

Hermione sat in a giant chair in the center of the circular room, staring at the judge, Mr. Durand, before her in a dull daze. Everything had happened so fast, yet not fast enough. She had been kept in some lower level of Laurophey all day yesterday. All of her possessions had been taken from her: her wand, her work, her ring, and even her clothes had been swapped out for the prison uniform. Though the Dementors guarded the upper levels of the facility, Hermione could swear she could still feel them. She couldn't stop shivering - she was so cold.

The guards who worked the lower levels weren't Dementors, but they had about as much warmth as them. They had thrown her roughly inside her stone cell, laughing at her, mocking her. One guard who the others called "Wouren" was especially cruel. He had brought her the one meal that she was provided yesterday, it couldn't be described as anything other than gruel. However, Hermione would've eaten it had she been given the chance. When she asked him a question about the trial though, he refused to answer, she questioned him more fervently and he kicked her plate of food against the wall. The sound of the metal clanking against the cold walls, echoed loudly in her head still.

She had demanded to see Dumbledore, knowing that he was her best defense right now. However, her request was immediately shut down. She then demanded to at least speak with her contacts, but her request was once more rejected. She was informed that she was not allowed to see anyone until the trail was over, and if she was found innocent - they laughed when they said this - she could see whoever she pleased, otherwise, she would have to go through the Ministry to establish a visit with outsiders. From the way they said it, and from what she knew, it was a deliriously long process and not always granted.

The cell had a bed, if you could call it that. But it might as well have not been there. The mattress was parchment-thin and the springs underneath poked sharply into Hermione's vulnerable body. She had curled up into a ball, racking her mind in an attempt to wrap it around this situation. She had managed to devise a defense for this morning, but at the same time, she didn't really know what they were going to throw at her. She had slept very, very little last night. The only time she felt even remotely at peace is when she let her mind still enough to allow her the reverie of Ginny wrapping her arms around her and holding her tight.

"Do you understand the charges against you?" Mr. Durand asked, his voice booming ominously across the courtroom.

"No," Hermione responded evenly, but with fierceness in her voice. "Explain how these charges came about and what makes you believe I committed them."

"Do you understand the charges," he restated slowly as she leaned forward and eyed her menacingly.

"I haven't done anything," Hermione declared, righting herself furthermore in response.

"Answer the question, Miss Granger," he warned. She noted how several Aurors took a step towards her. She didn't allow them to see her fear, but she merely nodded her head.

"Answer."

She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her voice, and spoke. "Yes." The Aurors backed away as Mr. Durand gave them a subtle nod.

"Sir," Hermione said, though the acknowledgement of his superiority grinded at her insides, she didn't want to seem completely defiant. "Can you please explain how and why I've been charged with those crimes?"

"We were hoping you could shed some light on that, actually," he responded lightly as he reclined in his chair. His behaviour grated on Hermione and she nearly bristled; however, she committed herself to remaining stone-faced despite his taunting.

"I will do whatever I can to help sort out these misconceptions," she responded. "If you want me to take Veritaserum, undergo Legilimency, anything," she continued, "I'll do it. I have nothing to hide."

"We are pleased to hear that you are so compliant," he replied patronizingly. He turned towards a group of officials seated in the right-hand section of the stands and called, "Mr. Izmark." He held out his hand in beckoning and the man stood, and weaved his way through the crowd to stand before the Official. Though Hermione wasn't overly familiar with him, she knew Mr. Izmark to be a prominent Wandmaker in Paris.

The two whispered quietly to one another for a few moments, Hermione straining to hear their words with no success. The man nodded over something that had been said and reached into his robes and presented a wand to the judge - Hermione instantly recognizing the wand to be her own.

"Is this your wand, Miss Granger?" Mr. Durand asked as he held her wand out for all to see.

"Yes," she replied as her mind scrambled to determine where this was going. He nodded.

"Miss Granger, I had Mr. Izmark examine your wand and determine which spells you have cast. While most are harmless," he announced evenly as he twirled her wand in his hand, "there were numerous, which are a cause for concern." Outside of the memory charms she had cast upon Brumski the other day, she knew not what he spoke of, she told him so.

"That's interesting, because Mr. Izmark was able to detect numerous memory and emotion modification charms. False Memory Charms were placed upon numerous registered house-elf owners along with False Emotion Charms. While these may not be illegal spells in England," he explained, "they are here." The room felt as though it completely stilled - Hermione's heart was beating so strongly she could actually feel it beat against her chest. Mr. Durand went on.

"As I understand, the house-elf reform that you were a key member in was under scrutiny by the Minister and was in danger of being shut down. However, you were informed that if you gained enough support from key members of society and could secure the funding, your project would move forth, am I correct?"

She nodded as her stomach dropped instinctively. "Yes."

"Your Team Lead, Miss Vivian Blake came to us the other day, informing us that she had reason to believe that you had tampered with these individuals' free will. We brought in a few of them and after much work from our Obliviator Headquarters, our Memory Specialists were able to extract the victims' true memories. Admittedly, the charms you placed were very thorough and if our team had not been especially diligent, the charms would have gone unnoticed. However, you tampered with the victims' memories and manipulated their psyches' so that they would support your reform. You were even able to pull this same trickery upon members of Beauxbatons," he sneered.

"Sir-I don't recall** any **of this," Hermione protested as her mind churned. "You can speak with my colleagues, I was at work every day, all day. When would I have been able to perform these charms?"

"Your coworkers cannot account for your whereabouts at all hours of the day," he replied.

"This is preposterous," Hermione declared, though she willed herself to remain calm.

"Is it?" He asked evenly. "Ms. Blake informed us that you have been supporting the liberation of house-elves since your fourth year in wizarding school. You even founded your own social organization to champion the cause. Spew, was it?" He asked flippantly. "You badgered other students to join the movement, to the point of harassment."

"I did no such thing," Hermione rebutted. "Yes, I did create the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," she explained purposefully, "but I'll have you know that I did not badger or harass anyone to join. The Society didn't even end up accomplishing anything, truly," she admitted before speaking in controlled rage, "And all these 'tips' are from Ms. Blake, are they? Have you looked into her background at all? Perhaps are you aware of how she put Mr. Pius Thicknesse under the Imperius Curse and then turned around to have him arrested for crimes that he committed while under her control?" She sat, satisfied as excited murmuring erupted in waves across the courtroom. Mr. Durand pounded his gavel against the stand and called for order.

"That's an outrageous claim," he stated. "Ms. Blake is a model of ethics and is highly revered-"

"And how did she get to the position she's in, hm?" Hermione interjected. "She had to get rid of Mr. Thicknesse!" More excited murmuring rang across the room and Hermione forged on. "If any of those spells were truly cast by my wand, I guarantee that it's because she's placed me under the same curse. Check my mind for memory charms," she proclaimed, "I'm positive you'll find them. I don't know how or when, but she's cast them on me after putting me under the Imperius Curse - I promise you."

"Enough." He held his hand up to silence her. Hermione bit her tongue. "Do you have evidence?"

Hermione's gaze fell as she thought to Brumski and his current state. "Well, yes, but I don't know how effective it will be," she announced slowly. She huffed as she committed to continuing on; she had to do everything that she could. "Ms. Blake's house-elf, Brumski. If we could call him here...," she started. She turned in her seat as she heard rustling behind her and her eyes fell upon Ms. Blake sitting at the back of the stands in her Ministry robes. Their eyes met and Hermione narrowed her eyes at the loathsome creature before her. She turned back around to face Mr. Durand. "But, we also need to bring another house-elf here with him. You see..., Brumski is under the Fidelius Charm...nobody can hear or see him."

The courtroom erupted in snickering and laughter.

"Likely story, Miss Granger," Mr. Durand commented with a sly smile.

"Sir, please," Hermione implored. "I'm innocent."

He had been antagonistic and bemused throughout the entire trial, but upon hearing Hermione's statement, his eyes turned solemn and he spoke sincerely. "I wish we could believe you, Miss Granger. You truly showed great promise. There are many here and in the British Ministry who are sorely disappointed."

"Please," Hermione whispered, tears forming in her eyes as she felt hope slipping away. They stared at one another for a few tense moments before Mr. Durand broke eye contact to examine the papers before him.

"If you have no further **real** evidence, the jury will begin its deliberation," he announced.

Hermione scanned the courtroom quickly and her eyes fell upon Ms. Blake again. A thought struck Hermione. "Read her wand," she said urgently. "Ms. Blake, read her wand for dark magic," she reiterated. "But she has two wands, one specifically for dark magic."

"Don't be silly," Mr. Durand laughed. "Each witch and wizard has **one** wand bestowed to them."

"You may check my wand if you wish," Ms. Blake offered as she rose from her spot in the stands, holding out her wand. "I wish to be as helpful in this trial as possible."

"That's not necessary-" Mr. Durand began, only to be cut off by Ms. Blake's insisting.

"Please, go ahead," she went on. "I have nothing to hide and if it will make Miss Granger rest better, then so be it."

Hermione shot the woman a hateful look that went unnoticed. However, others must have been giving Ms. Blake questioning looks because the woman explained herself in a manner that made Hermione sick to her stomach.

"I understand, Mr. Durand, I do. But if it will help the person who I thought would become my protégé, feel better, then I wish to do it. Just one last gesture of good will, I suppose," she smiled sadly.

If Hermione had even an ounce less of self-control she would've lunged out of her chair and across the room at Ms. Blake. However, she slowly turned in her seat to face forward. Mr. Durand was speaking quietly with Mr. Izmark once more.

"Okay," he announced as he looked up and Mr. Izmark crossed the room. "Mr. Izmark will read your wand. Miss Granger," he said as he turned his gaze on the young brunette, "you will be brought to the interrogation room and watched by the Aurors while Ms. Blake's wand is read and while the jury enters a consequent deliberation. You will be summoned once more as soon as we have reached a verdict."

* * *

Hermione let out a shuddering breath as the Aurors strode towards her and grabbed her gruffly before dragging her out the back door and into an adjoining room. She struggled against them, but knew she couldn't even remotely begin to overpower them. She really just did it to show that she wouldn't go without a fight, even if this was all she could offer.

"I know you're just doing your jobs," she relented as they roughly sat her down in one of the chairs in the quiet room, "so if you put me through the trials that you should, you will see that I'm innocent. You guys have seen a lot, I know you have, so you must know how underhanded some dark wizards can be," she tried to reason with them. "You, of all people, are aware of all the tricks they can play and the various spells they can use and how they can perform them undetected. Please-"

"Excuse me-"

Hermione looked over to the door as it opened and was met with the sight of Ms. Blake sauntering into the room.

"You!" Hermione seethed - all prior composure flying swiftly out the door as she saw the woman who was responsible for this mess. She quickly clamped her mouth shut though as the Auror's wands were swiftly pointed in her face over the outburst.

"I appreciate the effort, ladies and gentlemen," Ms. Blake said softly as she eyed each of the Aurors with false regret in her eyes. "But before the verdict is delivered, I wish to have a word with Miss Granger."

"Are you sure, Ms. Blake?" One of the senior Aurors asked and Ms. Blake offered a solemn nod in return.

"Would it be too bothersome to speak with Miss Granger privately?" Ms. Blake asked in a weary voice that made Hermione's blood boil in fury.

"Don't leave me alone with her," Hermione requested rather fiercely as she tried to make eye contact with the Aurors.

"Are you sure that's what you want," another Auror asked Ms. Blake who again nodded. "Here, take my wand," he offered.

"No, thank you," Ms. Blake declined. "I'm fine, but I appreciate the generous offer."

"You're sure you want us to leave you alone with her?" He asked one more time.

"Yes. Hermione and I had grown rather close - or so I thought. I just want to have a word with her before the verdict is released," she relayed wistfully.

"Very well," another Auror replied gruffly and he began to usher the others out of the room. "We'll be right outside in case you need us." He shot a look toward Hermione, one of disgust and chagrin. "It's a damn shame," he declared as he walked out, slamming the door behind him, making Hermione wince at the violent noise. She quickly turned her eyes towards Ms. Blake's devious ones.

"You did this," Hermione seethed as she began to stand.

"**Sit** down," Ms. Blake said calmly as she pulled one hand out from behind her back to reveal her wand and tilted it down. Immediately, Hermione felt a powerful force pushing her body back down and onto the chair. She fell violently into it as her body collapsed under the pressure - Ms. Blake chuckled as she slowly paced around the table.

Hermione's wide-eyed gaze followed the woman in realization. It was the second wand that Brumski had told them about. If Hermione could get a hold of it, she could show it to the Ministry and they would be able to detect all the dark magic the woman had employed.

"You put on a good show out there," Ms. Blake congratulated as she mockingly clapped her hands softly. "You expect everyone to believe you're innocent, hm?" she continued. "Honestly, everyone knows how over-zealous you are and how you would stop at nothing to make sure that your little house-elves were liberated."

Hermione tried to continually follow Ms. Blake with her gaze as the woman came around, but the brunette found herself stuck facing forward, Ms. Blake's magic still holding her still. Hermione's breathing deepened as Ms. Blake's slow, even footsteps got closer and soon the woman was behind her.

"You mean to say," Ms. Blake started, "you don't remember anything?"

Hermione's breath caught as she felt her mind being invaded. Like a waterfall, a slew of memories cascaded into her consciousness. Images of her getting up late at night, taking the floo to various residences and performing the accused Charms on entire families as they slept peacefully in their beds. Memory after memory like this was revealed - it must have been going on for over a month. She watched in horror as each night she snuck out, and how Crookshanks tried to stop her, she even hit him numerous times as he pawed at her.

"_He knew,_" Hermione realized in another region of her mind - his erratic, desperate behaviour suddenly explained.

Despite these outings and consequent repulsive behaviour, each day before sunrise, Hermione watched as she arrived home, put her shoes back neatly on the mat and climbed calmly into bed. This also explains why she had been so outrageously tired. The only times she had actually gotten a full night of sleep is when she was on holidays - that was the only time she was free from Ms. Blake.

So when Hermione and the rest of the team had later approached each of these individuals under the context of work, they had no recollection of Hermione, nor of their strong revulsion to liberating the house-elves, and instead gladly signed the petitions.

Hermione's body collapsed, her head now nearly resting on the table as her shoulders and chest heaved in an attempt to recover from the psychological onslaught. When Ms. Blake spoke, her words sounded miles away.

"I'm sure that if you search your mind deeply enough," she said lightly, "you'll see the truth."

Hermione gasped as Ms. Blake abruptly reached out and grasped Hermione by the chin, pulling her face up until Ms. Blake was so close that Hermione could feel her hot breath upon her skin.

"Such a shame," Ms. Blake said evenly as she thrust Hermione's face out of her hands, the brunette nearly falling over in her weakened physical state. "Rufus had such high hopes for you," Ms. Blake continued on sadly before chuckling lightly. "You and I were suppose to become," she paused to laugh a bit once more, "**equals** at some point. Imagine that?"

Hermione gathered her strength and stared down Ms. Blake - if she could only get the woman's wand.

"I must admit," the blonde went on in a resigned sort of voice, "You are **quite** good - as skilled, bright and talented as they all said you were. Couple that with your determination and your passion and you have a very strong candidate for Department Head, even Minister," she announced with an impressed nod. "But," she said regretfully as she gestured to Hermione with a questioning stare, "**this**, is a bit of a career killer. I think you may find yourself unemployed by the end of the day, Miss Granger."

"Is that why you did this?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "Because you considered me a **threat**?"

Ms. Blake gave a subtle shrug of her shoulders. "I know, I can't believe you'd ever be considered competition for me. But I guess that's over now. I must say though,

had I known ahead of time that you had such a scandalous private life, I might've held off and just used that to oust you. But, things were already underway, and well, who am I kidding, this ending is far more satisfying than if I had just used petty slander. Though I did have to have a bit of fun with those scandals - just toy with you a bit. Oh, and if you're thinking you can use Veritaserum or a pensieve to save yourself, think again, after exposing you and your crimes, I have to say the both ministries' trust in me is better than ever and I'd say it's safe to say that the court has made their decision and has all the evidence they need."

Before Hermione could conjure up an alternative to expose what was just revealed to her, Ms. Blake cut off her thoughts with a light chuckle.

"That, and of course I don't leave things like this to chance. I'll of course take extra precautions," she informed Hermione with a self-satisfied nod. "If I get so much as a hint that you're making a fuss in Laurophey...well, let's just say that behaviour would be very ill-advised. I'm sure you want to see your meddlesome little girlfriend when you finally get out, and that can't really happen if she takes a particularly **nasty** tumble during a match-"

"You leave Ginny out of this!" Hermione screamed - dully amazed at how she found the energy to respond so vehemently.

"Ah," Ms. Blake noted quietly with a humorous smile, "I had a feeling that you two didn't break up."

Hermione hurriedly retracted her anger as she became aware of how she just put Ginny in very serious danger.

"Don't worry," Ms. Blake said with that fake kindness in her eyes. "I'll take good care of her while you're gone. You have nothing to be concerned about. Take care, now, dear. It was a pleasure working with you."

Hermione clenched her jaw so tightly that she felt her teeth would crack under the pressure. She wanted to scream, to throw herself at Ms. Blake and rip that wand right out of her hands, but Hermione knew she wouldn't get a foot before she'd be slammed with a stunning spell or something worse. Overwhelming dread flooded her system as her thoughts drifted to Ginny and what Ms. Blake might have planned. Hermione had to find a way to warn Ginny. Did Ginny even know that any of this was happening?

Her mind was still running madly when Ms. Blake held up her wand.

"That was just too much fun. Such a feisty one, I just couldn't resist. Ah well, back to business." A cold smile crossed the woman's face before her lips parted, her command just a whisper. "Obliviate."

* * *

The Aurors re-entered the room and snatched her up once more, dragging her back into the courtroom and depositing her carelessly in the chair she had been seated in earlier. She righted herself and stared down Mr. Durand who was watching her intently.

"Miss Granger," he announced slowly after the din in the courtroom faded. "The courts of the French Ministry find you guilty of all charges. You will be escorted back to Laurophey where you will be provided with a permanent cell, which will be your place of residence for the next five years at which time you will be released. Court is adjourned."

So this was it - this is how the Great Hermione Granger fell from grace.

**AN**: Hi everyone :) A little glimpse into what poor Hermione is going through and a bit more of Ms. Blake and what her deal is all about. Thank again for all the amazing support! Have a great weekend!


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

_**Ginny POV**_

Ginny woke up with a lazy groan. She lay in bed for several minutes, her body strongly refusing to rid itself of its grogginess. The headache that she fell asleep with was now a dull thud; however, as she dragged her body up into a sitting position it throbbed back to life. She groaned furthermore as it flared with every heartbeat and she forced herself to get out of bed.

"Breakfast, Miss?"

Ginny peeked open an eye when she heard Dobby across the room. Sure enough, there he stood with a tray of food ready for her. She had to smirk.

"Thanks, Dobby." He looked absolutely thrilled as he nearly bounced over to her and set the tray gently down on the bed.

"Did Harry Potter's friend sleep well?" He asked.

She gave an ill-advised shake of the head as she picked up a piece of toast.

"'Fraid not, Dobby. Yourself?"

"Oh, fine, Miss. But it pains Dobby to know that Harry Potter and his friends are so upset. Dobby will try to find out more today," he promised with an eager nod. His promise reminded Ginny of something and she turned to him, newly aware.

"Dobby, can you do me a favour, please, and get me today's copy of the Daily Prophet?" She asked.

With a nod the petite house-elf disapparated and before Ginny had even had a chance to bring the goblet of pumpkin juice up to her lips he reappeared next to her, holding out a copy of the paper.

"Here, Miss!" He announced enthusiastically.

"Thank you," Ginny said quietly as she took it from him with a bit of hesitation, knowing she'd probably greatly dislike what she would read. Ginny didn't even have to hunt for the article, it was right there waiting for her on the front page. She growled as she saw Rita Skeeter's name next to the latest headline. Ginny's stomach turned into a knotted mass as she saw an image of Hermione in a prison uniform exploding at someone. The redhead scoffed, of course the Prophet would use the most incriminating footage it could get its grubby hands on - especially with Rita Skeeter behind the quill on this latest exploit. With growing contempt, Ginny began to read.

Her hands shook as she read in great, glorious detail about how Hermione had once more proven herself to be over-zealous, ill-tempered, and willing to stop at nothing to make sure that her radical reform succeeded. Skeeter described her as devious, malicious, emotionally unstable, and other equally untrue things. All the while, Skeeter made sure to include a whole paragraph about how despite this dark cloud that had been cast over the Ministry, one, bright, shining light had shone through to guide them all, and that was Ms. Blake.

Beyond the flamboyant gloss that Skeeter was so fond of in all of her writings, Ginny did learn that Hermione was served with five years in custody before she would be released. Apparently, the courts examined Hermione's wand and found that she had performed numerous illegal spells. They went on to state that Hermione performed these charms in an effort to garner support for her reform and that's why the reform had become so successful despite the doubt that had lingered overhead not even two months prior.

"That's it?" Ginny exclaimed as she shook the paper in her hand for emphasis. "They just checked her wand and boom, throw her in a cell for five years?" She continued in disbelief as she shot varied glances towards Dobby who looked about as upset as she. "Is Harry at the Ministry?" She asked.

"Yes, Miss. But he said he will be back at lunch with Wheezy," Dobby told her; she knew by Wheezy he meant Ron.

Ginny nodded and looked to the plate of food before her. "Dobby, I'm really sorry, but I don't have any appetite right now. I'm sorry," she said, hoping he wouldn't be offended. He seemed to understand and took it away in good spirits.

"Still in bed?"  
"And we thought Ron was bad."

Ginny's eyes snapped up to see Fred and George standing in the doorway, both leaning against opposite sides of the door frame, arms crossed with teasing grins on their faces. Ginny just shot up out of bed and threw her arms around her big brothers, hugging them tightly and earning playful complaints from the pair.

"You know," George said as he eyed her with that trademark glint in his eye, "I don't think Hermione would approve of you skipping class."

"Yeah, she's a prefect through and through," Fred chimed in.

"And not capable of the rubbish that they're spewing in the papers," Ginny remarked as she gestured rather fiercely towards the discarded newspaper that lay on the bed. "Ms. Blake put the Imperius Curse on her, I know it," Ginny proclaimed as she eyed the twins intensely. They nodded, their trickster minds deep in thought.

"Tough enemy, we have here," Fred stated.

"I'll say," Ginny said as she rolled her eyes. "The woman has a house-elf that she's placed under the Fidelius Charm so nobody else but her can see or hear him, other than Dobby and I assume other house-elves," she explained. "But he's still under her ownership, so even though we brought him here to protect him until we could figure out a way to undo the charm, she ordered him back and now even Dobby can't get to him."

"Clever woman," George piped up and for split second Ginny foresaw herself strangling him.

"Has Dad said anything?" Ginny asked.

"He's under constant watch, he says," Fred relayed. "He's looking for a way to help and trying to spot anything out of the ordinary, but Ms. Blake has everything so locked down and regulated that he doesn't have much wiggle-room." Ginny made a noise of disgust and folded her arms against her chest in disdain.

"How long do you think it'll be until I can visit Hermione?" She asked in a flat voice.

"I've heard the loops they make the inmates jump through to get permission to see visitors are quite extraordinary," Fred responded in a tone much similar to Ginny's. "Could be weeks." Ginny sighed and shook her head, bringing a hand up to her face, grimacing as a thought struck her.

"Since Hermione's been convicted," she paused, "I'm going to have to tell her parents." The twins both let out matching "Ooo"s of both sympathy and impending peril.

"Merlin," Ginny muttered as she screwed her eyes shut at the thought of delivering such news.

"Speak with Dad first," George suggested. "Maybe he can go with you, make it a bit easier." Ginny just shook her head and gave them both a look that made them drop the subject.

Ginny could feel that heavy silence about to drift in when Fred revealed a deck of cards, flashing them artfully around in his hands.

"Care for a game of Exploding Snap? We've modified the deck to make it a bit more...daring," he waggled his eyebrows up and down in an attempt to entice her.

Ginny chuckled through a groan. Of course the last thing she wanted to do was play cards.

"There's nothing you can do for her right now. We need to at least speak with Harry and Ron first," George said in as serious a voice she'd ever heard from him before.

With a nod of resignation, Ginny responded. "Sure. Let's go."

* * *

"Gah!"

Ginny and the twins turned around at the cry that rang across the living room in Grimmauld Place. They simultaneously snickered as they saw Ron slapping at his hair frantically with both hands - the exploded card simmering on the ground next to his stamping feet.

"What in blazes-" he muttered through gritted teeth as he stormed towards them, the tips of his hair singed, a bit more in some places than others.

"Oh, sorry about that," Fred offered airily. "We tweaked the cards a tad - increased the severity of the snap, you see."

"Good range on that one," George nodded with an approving look, which Ginny mirrored.

"You're like children, you all are," Ron whimpered as he pulled up a seat, ignoring his siblings' laughter, along with Harry who now joined in.

"So," Ginny started, turning serious as she looked between Harry and a still-offended Ron, "What's the news?"

"Well," Harry said exaggeratedly, as he gave her a pointed look, "Let's see here, when we got to work we each had our wands read, we had to sign in, and to get back here we had to have our wands read again, our latest spells had to be cross-checked against our Auror Training Agenda, and then we had to register where we were going." He finished with a nod of false cheer.

"Yeah," Ron grumbled. "Ms. Blake and the Minister want to ensure that no more 'slip-ups' occur."

Ginny picked up a card and flicked it across the room - to her pleasure it ignited mid-flight and sizzled as its remains floated to the floor.

"Is she back in London?" She asked as she pulled her attention away from the card.

"Yeah, heard she was in the office today," Harry replied.

Ginny let out a grunt of discontent. "Figures." She sighed. "So, how are we going to bust into her place to get Brumski and her wand." She asked the question with such casualness that Fred and George erupted into laughter.

"Oh li'l sis," George chuckled. "I do love your attitude."

"Were you expecting something else?" She asked in the same easy manner and they both shook their heads as their laughter continued. "But seriously," she added, "how are we going to pull this off? I have the feeling that getting into her manor will be about as simple as breaking into or out of Azkaban." She stated the comparison before she could stop herself and just the word Azkaban and its association with Laurophey left a horrid taste in her mouth.

The group was silent and Ginny stared expectantly at the boys before her as they avoided her gaze.

"Well!" She exclaimed. "Since when have you guys been so cowardly?"

"It's not a matter of bravery," Harry retorted, "We're all plenty stupid enough to barge right into her manor and get the wits blasted out of us. It's just a matter of pulling it off successfully enough so that we actually get the evidence we need to present to the Ministry."

Ginny sighed knowing he was right.

"We could really use Hermione's brains right now, couldn't we?" She chuckled. The laugh sounded empty and forced in her head. "Well, I don't know how accurate this claim is, but I'm thinking that as soon as we step foot in that house of hers - that's it. We have to pull it all off at once because after that she'll have an excuse to send all the Aurors and everyone else in the Ministry after us."

"Luna said something to that effect, too," Harry offered regretfully.

"So we'll have to know how to undo the charm on Brumski before we head in - we won't have time to figure it out afterward," she went on. The room fell silent as everyone was lost in their own thoughts once more. "Maybe...**maybe**, we could take her second wand, the dark magic one, and place the Imperius Curse on her and get her to release Brumski...," Ginny thought out loud. The idea was mad and outrageous, but to Ginny, it was essentially the only thing that seemed plausible in her mind.

"Gin," Ron warned, "That's absolutely bonkers. You could end up in Azkaban for the rest of your life."

"Yeah, I don't think I can support this idea," Harry concurred.

"It'd be with **her** wand," Ginny persisted.

"But what if she takes Veritaserum, or uses a Pensieve or something along those lines," Harry remarked. "She'll be given a full trial and given every benefit of the doubt. If they can trace it back to you in any way, you're done."

"Hermione is in prison, she's probably scared and she's all alone. Her career is ruined, and Merlin knows what other consequences will come from Ms. Blake's manipulations," Ginny implored. "I can't sit idly by and just let that rat get away with this."

"Don't forget to get Ms. Blake to give herself a royal Bat Bogey Hex before you release her from the Imperius Curse," Fred contributed with a subtle nod. Ginny smiled broadly.

"I won't. And I, along with whoever wishes to come with me, will take Polyjuice Potion before we go - in case she does end up using the Pensieve during her trial, it'll protect us at least a bit," she declared. "We'll go to her manor while she's at work and find Brumski. We'll put her under the curse the second she steps into the manor - we'll be waiting."

"As in we're going to purposely risk getting into a duel with her?" Ron asked in disbelief. "Wouldn't it be easier to just go in at night when she's sleeping and put the curse on her then?"

"That's the coward's way," Ginny snapped before restraining herself somewhat. She continued in a more controlled fashion. "That's what she did to Hermione. I won't stoop to the same level. Besides, we don't know where her second wand is or how to get it. We'll need to speak with Brumski again first to even have a chance at it and it will probably be easiest to get to him when we don't have to worry about waking or alerting her."

"She detected you guys messing with the house-elf and his memories last time, won't she be able to again? She'll bring all the Aurors in England with her if she knows you're trying to rescue him and are **in** her bleeding house," he stressed further.

"Oh I believe George and I can be of some assistance in that department," Fred piped up with a complacent grin. Ginny merely gave him a curious look and he went on. "We'll keep Ms. Blake and everyone else as occupied as possible at the Ministry - buy you guys some extra time in case getting to Brumski is a bit of a task.

"And even if she decides to come after you, we'll ensure the rest of the Aurors are predisposed," George added with a wink.

"See? **They **understand me," Ginny commented as she eyed her other brother.

"'Course I don't. You're out of your mind!" Ron exclaimed. "You all are!" He cried as she looked at his siblings. "The only ones with any sensibility are me and Harry," he claimed while turning to Harry rather proudly.

"I'm in," Harry said to Ginny with a nod.

"What!" Ron yelled. "You're mad too!"

"You're just scared," Ginny baited.

"Am not!"

"Yes - you are. Merlin only knows how you ended up in Gryffindor," Ginny replied in a heated manner.

Ron's eyes flitted back and forth among his siblings and best friend before his shoulders slumped in slight dejection. "Fine, I'm in too," he grumbled. "You know Hermione wouldn't approve of this plan. She'd never let you go through with it."

Ginny took a moment to contemplate the assertion and eventually gave a nod. "Likely," she said lightly before forging on. "But she's not here to actually confirm that, and quite frankly, I don't really listen to anyone but her, so."

George must've noticed that Ron looked ready to argue further and cut him off. "Just let it go. I don't think you're going to win this one," he chuckled. Though Ron didn't look quite pleased at first, he eventually cracked a bit of a grin.

"I guess you're right, Gin. Hermione's always the voice of reason. What can be expected without her around? It's only natural we'd turn into a reckless mess."

"Exactly," Ginny replied and gave the group a wink. "Now, let's go get Hermione back before we figure out any other death-defying stunts to pull. I'm pretty sure she'll forgive me for one, but two might be pushing it."

**AN**: Nothing too outrageous (at least in terms of action lol) in this chapter, so I'll post the next one a bit sooner. Thank you again to everyone for your continued support and feedback, it's much appreciated. I hope everyone has a good week!


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

_**Ginny POV**_

"Bottoms up," Ginny said as she held her bottle of Polyjuice Potion up in cheers to Harry and Ron, who had already taken their dose at the Ministry before leaving to meet Ginny in Diagon Alley that was bustling enough to allow them to blend in. She swallowed the not-entirely-pleasant-tasting potion and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a grimace on her face as she tucked the bottle away. A few uncomfortable moments later she had transformed and shooed the boys away as she changed in the abandoned nook off the far end of Diagon.

"Alright, we're good to go," she announced as she straightened her shirt. "You have your wands?" She asked as she tucked her temporary wand in her back pocket. The boys nodded, their grips each respectively tightening on the unfamiliar wands.

Over the course of the past week as they further established the details of their plan and the execution, Fred and George had managed to repair a few wands from the Junk Shop enough to at least last through a handful of heavy duty spells. Worst case scenario they would be forced to use their true wands, but if they could use these makeshift wands, that would eliminate a trail that would lead the Ministry back to them.

Ginny reached out her hand as she took a steadying breath. Ron took her hand and soon Harry's was conjoined, too. The three gave each other a final nod and they disapparated.

* * *

They landed with a dull thud, and each immediately readied their wands and turned so they were standing back to back and surveyed the strange surroundings.

"Not much for aesthetic value, is she?" Ron mumbled as he commented on the dreary room.

"Let's get going," Ginny ordered quietly and she led the way through the house, hoping that she was leading them in the right direction. They walked closely together as the wandered through the abandoned manor. Ginny came to an abrupt stop, both Ron and Harry walking into the back of her as she spotted a large set of stairs leading down to the basement. She glanced over her shoulder at them and they nodded in silent affirmation and the three proceeded.

The second that were at the top of the stairs, Ginny could see a heavy, bolted door at the bottom of the steps. Brumski was in there, she knew it. As they reached the door, just for kicks, she tried to push it open, but was of course met with resistance.

"Sure he's in there?" Ron asked.

Ginny took a step back to examine the door once more, and sighed almost inaudibly. "He has to be." She lifted up her wand, "Well, let's see what these wands can do."

Several minutes and spells later, the three still stood on the wrong side of the door and stared hard at it.

Ginny backed up several steps, pulling the boys with her and steadied her footing.

"Harry, the second I cast the spell I need you cast a shield charm in the room immediately. There's going to be a lot of debris and we need to protect Brumski," she announced. She waited for his nod and readied her wand once more. "Reducto!"

A large ball of light emitted from the wand and nailed the door doing away with it as though it were nothing but a pile of twigs. Harry's reaction time was spectacular and the splinters of wood were kept in check and swiftly fell to the floor in as neat a pile as she could hope for.

The three exchanged apprehensive looks once more upon seeing no immediate activity in the room and cautiously descended the steps and entered.

"Dobby?" Harry said and a second later Dobby popped up next to Harry.

"Dobby is here, Harry Potter," the house-elf smiled before he must have spotted Brumski and gave a cry of horror.

"What is it?" All three asked in unison as they rushed up behind Dobby who was now kneeling in the corner and cradling something invisible in his arms.

"Oh Merlin," Ginny breathed, "Is he dead?"

"No, Miss," Dobby announced shakily and the trio each released their own sigh of relief. "But he is under a spell. He is sleeping."

"Which spell is it exactly, Dobby?" Harry inquired as he eyed Dobby intently.

"The same spell that Mr. Dumbledore cast on Wheezy and Miss Granger during the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Dobby announced in his wispy voice. Harry knelt down next to Dobby and tried to place his hand on the house-elf that Dobby supposedly held in his arms, but all he got was air.

"Dobby, I'm going to need you to help me cast the counter-spell," Harry instructed and Dobby eagerly obliged.

Ginny and her brother watched in anticipation as Harry cast the counter-spell with a bit of guidance from Dobby, and a moment later Dobby jumped back, startling all three of them.

The visible house-elf put his arms out tentatively and started to reassuring the invisible house-elf.

"Blimey," Ron muttered as he released his death grip on Ginny's arm. Despite the whole situation, she couldn't help but give him a teasing stare.

"Are you okay, Brumski?" Ginny asked as she dropped to her knees so she was at what she assumed was eye-level with the house-elf.

"Miss!" Dobby cried. "Brumski implores that Miss leave. He says that Miss and her friends must leave now! Ms. Blake will be so mad. She'll do more bad things!"

"It's okay, Brumski," Ginny assured him. "This ends today. And we're going to make sure that she has no more power over you - she won't be able to mistreat you any more."

Ginny went on to explain her plan, checking periodically with Dobby that Brumski was following along. At the end of it all, she looked back to Dobby in search of Brumski's opinion. A small smile crept up on Dobby's little face and he announced, "Brumski has a better plan."

* * *

Ginny's nerves rattled in apprehension of the potentially incredibly stupid thing they were about to do. Mind you, her original plan wasn't any less stupid...possibly more stupid. Either way, Ginny's nerves were shot. She and the boys had taken another dose of Polyjuice Potion, so at least worries about the potion failing in the midst of this endeavour were mercifully off her mind.

She shared a glance with Harry and Ron, the three of them spaced out across the room, all facing the fireplace and all behind pieces of furniture that could serve as cover for the impending battle.

Her breath caught as Dobby popped up beside the fireplace.

"She's coming!" He cried. If Fred and George had been successful in their side of things, Ms. Blake would be arriving alone - the other Aurors and officials pre-disposed.

A jolt of fear ran through Ginny's body as she saw the flames of the fireplace burn green. She immediately entered a duelling stance and took one last look at Dobby and gave him a nod.

"Merlin, I hope this works," Ginny muttered. As the flames before her intensified, images of Hermione flashed through her mind. A fury ignited inside of Ginny as her mind purposefully hovered on the image of Hermione being hauled away by the Aurors - if there was any motivation for her, this was the best kind for a moment like this.

Ms. Blake appeared and flurries of spells were immediately cast. Ginny ducked as a blast nailed the wall behind her with a deafening boom. She peeked over the top of the couch and a sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as Ms. Blake deftly blocked the attacks that Harry and Ron sent her way, and the woman even made room to retaliate.

Without another thought, Ginny jumped back up and sent a slew of attacks at the woman, but was sorely disappointed as they were blocked, coupled with a smirk no less.

"Enough of playtime, children," Ms. Blake announced and she gave a particularly strong flick of her wrist towards Ron. He just barely dodged the attack in time, and the lump in Ginny's throat began to grow. She cast another attack just to have it blocked not only repeated ease, but a cruel smirk as well. The unfamiliar feeling of her confidence wavering began to settle in.

"What are you so upset about Miss Weasley?" Ms. Blake commented lightly. The look of surprise on Ginny's face must've been plain to see because Ms. Blake let out a small chuckle. "As if anyone else would have the nerve to break into my home. I was right about you. And don't worry, I advised the guards to take it easy on your girl, she's so young and fragile, after all."

Ginny knew she couldn't send a verbal retaliation without losing her concentration on the duel, though she desperately wanted to snarl back at the wretched woman. Instead, Ginny just intensified her attacks and began using more advanced spells. She tried to not let the woman's taunts get to her as all the attacks they sent her way were blocked and her wicked smile grew.

"I've been told that she doesn't like the way they treat her," Ms. Blake relayed as her face fell in false sympathy. "Apparently she cries every night."

If it was even possible, Ginny descended into an even deeper rage at Ms. Blake's goading. The redhead knew that if she wasn't careful, she'd start to get reckless soon.

"I was wrong about one thing with you though," Ms. Blake informed her over the sounds of their spells being rebounding, "I thought you'd do a better job of protecting her. It was really far too easy."

Despite that voice screaming at her in the back of her head, Ginny launched into a series of attacks that her mind could barely register. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness and control threw off Ginny's timing and a wave of dread hurriedly swept over her as she saw Ms. Blake give a subtle flick of her wrist. With all her might, Ginny tried to recover from her failed attack enough so to block the oncoming spell in time, but there just wasn't enough time - at least for her.

She winced in anticipation of the hit, only to hear the sound of the attack colliding with something other than her. She opened her eyes in time to see the remnants of the blast dissipating against a shield that had been cast in front of her, and just in time to see Ms. Blake cast a spell towards Ron who was now preoccupied with the shield he had cast in front of his only sister.

Ginny gasped as Ron was hit with a stunning spell and was sent skidding across the marble floor, stopping only when his limp body hit the wall to pile into a crumpled mess. Ginny's heart raced in fear, but she forced herself to not linger on the scene and continued to send attacks Ms. Blake's way.

Taking a moment to bend down, Ginny picked up the hat out of the pile of clothes that lay at her feet. She abruptly stood, careful to dodge the ball of red energy that was sent her way. Timing it appropriately, Ginny launched the hat at Ms. Blake just a fraction of a second after Harry cast an attack. Ms. Blake absently caught the hat, shooting a look of deranged puzzlement at Ginny before grimacing and went to release the hat to the floor in disgust.

Ginny smirked as the hat hovered in mid-air before being set on the ground – the Disillusionment Charm had worked on Brumski, and if Ginny's logic was correct, Brumski was now a free elf. Her attention momentarily pulled away from the skirmish at hand, Ginny found herself being knocked violently backward. Though she was still conscious when she hit the ground, intensely sharp pain radiated from her shoulder and she knew instantly that it was dislocated. She writhed around on the floor momentarily as she tried to ignore the blinding pain and came to her senses just in time to scurry out of the way of another blast that hit the floor just inches from where she was a moment ago - her previous cover, the couch, now nothing more than mere fragments scattered across the ground.

Harry tried to hit Ms. Blake with another Expelliarmus Charm, but she blocked it once more. Ginny hurried over to where Ron had previously been and briefly locked eyes with Harry, both knowing what was coming next.

As Ginny did her best to distract Ms. Blake with further attacks, in her periphery she saw Dobby, also under the safety of a Disillusionment Charm, come up to a space in the room that was momentarily free of attacks. As Ginny continued to ignore the pain shooting through her shoulder, she saw Dobby quickly pull out one of the wands that Fred and George had repaired and cast a spell into the area next to him. While Ginny couldn't see any result from the spell at this point, someone else could.

"Brumski!" Ms. Blake snapped in both shock and anger.

Ginny and Harry collectively gasped as Brumski appeared to them for the first time.

"Brumski," Ginny breathed in mounting excitement, only remotely realizing that the brawl had temporarily ceased.

Ms. Blake's eyes shot towards her in horror and realization. Ginny took Ms. Blake's period of surprise for all it was worth.

"Stupefy!" Ginny yelled.

Ms. Blake was sending tumbling backwards and hit the wall behind her doubly hard as Harry hit her with his own stunning spell simultaneously. A few tense moments passed and Ms. Blake did not move - surely stunned.

Ginny fell to her knees as she became keenly aware of the throbbing in her shoulder. She clutched at it and Harry rushed over, dropping down next to her. She shook her head and nodded towards Ron.

"Help him," she said as she grimaced in pain. Forcing herself to rise up to her feet, she trudged over to Brumski and Dobby.

"Brumski, are you okay?" She asked, still a little breathless from the pain.

She took a step back instinctually as he launched himself forward, wrapping his spindly arms around one of her legs.

"Thank you, Miss! Thank you! Brumski is forever grateful!" He cried in a voice very similar to Dobby's. With a pained chuckle, Ginny reached her mobile hand down and gently patted him on the head, unsure of how to react.

"You're the one who helped us, Brumski," she said after she gathered her wits. "And this was your idea - and it was brilliant!"

He shook his head fervently against her leg, continually chanting, "Thank you" over and over, causing Ginny to redden in embarrassment. She glanced over her shoulder to check on Harry and Ron and saw that Ron was now conscious and standing, seemingly okay.

"Can I ask you for one more favour," Ginny asked as she looked down to Brumski.

"Anything!"

"Where is Ms. Blake's second wand - I know you said it's protected, but we need it if we're going to free Hermione," Ginny said, a bit of apprehension creeping back into her voice over the whole situation.

"Miss Hermione is not well?" Brumski asked, suddenly looking sick with worry.

"No," Ginny shook her head. "I'm afraid she's not. Ms. Blake," Ginny said simply, knowing that it would be explanation enough.

Brumski took a step back and a look of determination formed on his face. He snapped his fingers and a wand appeared in his hand.

"Wha-" Ginny started. "Is that it? I thought you said you couldn't get it," she restated incredulously.

"Not her house-elf anymore," he explained lightly as he held out the wand to her, looking very proud to do so. She gratefully accepted it, holding it close, knowing that it was invaluable.

Ginny smiled furthermore as Dobby came up beside Brumski and began shaking his hand with great enthusiasm.

"You are a free elf, now, Brumski!" He declared. "Just like Dobby! It is great being free. Maybe Dobby can get you a job at Hogwarts! Mr. Dumbledore is very kind and he pays us, too!"

Ginny chuckled once more, wincing slightly at the pain that shot through her.

"You okay, mate?" Ron asked as he came up next to her, hobbling slightly.

"Perfect," she answered. "You?"

"I'm gorgeous as ever," he announced as he pointed to the black eye that was starting to form. She smiled at him. "Thanks for what you did back there. Could've gotten you killed you know...," she said softly as the realization weighed on her.

"Well, I figured if I didn't save you, then at Hermione's first chance she'd kill me anyway, so I figured I'd at least go down nobly," he said through a bit of a pained laugh. She smiled kindly at her brother in thanks.

"And how about you, Harry? You fare okay?" Ginny asked as she turned her head to face him.

"I'm feeling good," he answered in a chipper voice before glancing over at Ms. Blake who still lay on the floor. "She's quite the duellist, isn't she?" He asked while making a face.

Ginny made a face as well and responded, "Well, maybe it's a prerequisite for being Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," she suggested. "I kind of meant that as a joke...but it kind of makes sense." She nearly shrugged, but stopped herself at the last second, much to her satisfaction.

"Brumski," Ginny said as she looked down at the house-elf once more, "Do you mind telling the Ministry all of the things you told us about Ms. Blake. We really need your help to finish this," she said solemnly. She couldn't repress the smile that crossed her lips as Brumski puffed out his chest and agreed to the task with great bravado.

"Okay," Ginny nodded before looking to Harry and Ron. "I'm too weak to apparate right now," she admitted with resignation, "but I'll send a Patronus to Dumbledore alerting him to go to the Ministry right away. Or do you want him to meet you here," she offered.

"Meet us there," Harry replied with a decisive nod, accompanied by Ron. "And what about you? You have to see a Mediwizard."

"Yeah, I'll floo to Diagon Alley and go from there. I don't want to show up at the Ministry like this," she explained.

"No," Ron said sternly. "Include in your Patronus that you're injured and wait here. Dumbledore will send help."

Ginny grumbled, but she knew he was right. When did he get so level-headed and reasonable? All signed pointed towards Hermione's good influence, in Ginny's opinion at least. The thought of the brunette brought new urgency to their plans and Ginny gave a curt nod.

"Okay, let's get going. Here," she said as she held out Ms. Blake's wand. "Protect it with your lives." It sounded dramatic, but Ginny was being completely serious. Both Ron and Harry gave her mock salutes, but followed them up with gentle smiles and nods of understanding.

With a flick of Harry's wand, Ms. Blake was levitated off the ground and a few moments later Ginny was left alone. She fished out her true wand and mustering up the right energy, she sent a Patronus off to Hogwarts.

Now, it was time to wait.

**AN**: I know - simply outrageous! I apologize lol. Hopefully it was still enjoyable though. Thank you again to everyone for your support!


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

_**Ginny POV**_

If there had been any stable furniture left in Ms. Blake's living room after the group's skirmish, Ginny would've gladly sat down, but instead she had to settle with sitting down on the cold marble floor and leaning against the wall. She grimaced and tilted her head back against the wall as the pain in her shoulder continued to throb. Despite it, she just grit her teeth and thought about the good that came from the recent duel. Brumski was free, both as a house-elf and of the Fidelius Charm; Ms. Blake was incapacitated, her second wand in their possession and was now being brought to the Ministry. Dumbledore would be there soon and he would help.

A slight sense of worry crossed Ginny's mind as she thought back to her confrontation with Dumbledore just last week. She hadn't seen him since that day in his office and she hoped that he would still be willing to lend a hand. Hopefully he understood that she was just tremendously upset and that the disrespect she had shown him did not reflect her true feelings toward him. She sighed. Even if he had written her off, hopefully he would come through if only for Hermione's sake.

"_Hermione,_" Ginny thought as she closed her eyes while her mind thought back to Ms. Blake's words about the brunette's experiences in Laurophey. With any luck, Ms. Blake was simply saying those things to get a rise out of Ginny, but considering the images in the articles Ginny had seen, the claims did not seem entirely implausible. Merlin, even if this part of the nightmare was over and Hermione was released, what shape would she be in?

Ginny thought back to Sirius Black and recalled how well he came out of Azkaban after serving several years there under Dementor surveillance. Logically speaking, Hermione should fare even better. Still, Ginny knew that despite the different circumstances, Hermione wouldn't come out completely unscathed. Ginny shook her head. That was just in terms of Hermione's psyche, as for her career, well, who knew how well they could restore it. As things stood, Hermione's career was in absolute shambles. They'd worry about that later though, right now Hermione's overall wellbeing was more important. True, it had only been a little over a week by now, but who knows how that week had been.

Ginny's eyes snapped open and she scrambled up from the floor, wand at the ready, as she heard two sets of pops echo across the previously vacant room.

"Easy, Miss Weasley, it's just us."

Ginny's shoulders stopped heaving as intensely as her eyes fell upon Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. The young Gryffindor winced as the pain in her shoulder amplified over the hurried activity and strain from her increased breathing.

"Done a number on yourself, haven't you?" Madam Pomfrey declared with a frown as she hurriedly walked over and began to examine Ginny. Ginny winced furthermore as Madam Pomfrey poked and prodded at her in assessment. She vaguely noticed McGonagall giving a flick of her wand, apparently transfiguring something into a chair for Ginny, which she was swiftly set down in.

"Drink this," Madam Pomfrey ordered and before Ginny had a chance to even register what was going on, there was a potion being held up to her lips. She didn't struggle though and drank the brew, praying that it would help with the pain.

"We'll give it a minute to work, then I'll fix your shoulder up," the matron continued as she took a step back.

"Is Dumbledore going to the Ministry?" Ginny asked in a bit of a strained voice, the pain still very taxing.

"Yes, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall confirmed. "He went as soon as he received your Patronus. This nightmare will soon be over," she promised in a voice much softer than Ginny was used to hearing from her. The redhead merely nodded gratefully.

"I must congratulate you on your sleuthing skills, spellwork, and apparently, recklessness," McGonagall went on as she discretely raised one eyebrow in mild amusement. Ginny chuckled lightly, absently noting how it hurt less than before to do so.

"Am I in trouble for missing so many classes?" She asked with a lopsided grin.

"Well, you are certainly behind now, but I think you may find that your grade will recover rather quickly," McGonagall answered with a small smile. "You did very well, here, Miss Weasley."

Ginny returned Professor McGonagall's smile, inwardly beaming at the praise that the professor so rarely dealt out.

"Thank you for coming to help," Ginny said. "I need to get to the Ministry to help Ron and Harry."

"You will do no such thing," Madam Pomfrey interjected sternly. "You have to rest."

Ginny was about to protest when Professor McGonagall held her hand up in request for silence.

"Miss Weasley, I know you are very eager to help, but right now there is nothing further you can do. The matter is with the Wizengamot now and it could take several days or even weeks for something to be decided."

"Weeks!" Ginny exclaimed incredulously. "Are you kidding? With all of that evidence it'll still take weeks?"

"It's possible," McGonagall replied with regret. "Despite the overwhelming evidence, Ms. Blake is still a very prominent figure in the Ministry. They will give her a full trial and they will need to re-examine people such as Mr. Thicknesse once more." The professor must have seen the look of apprehension that crossed Ginny's face, because soon the elderly woman was comforting her. "Please do not worry, we have a very strong case, but the Ministry has to do their due diligence before they can convict her and undo all the wrongs they have supported."

"What about Mione?" Ginny asked.

"As soon as Ms. Blake is found guilty, here, Dumbledore, along with the British Ministry, will go to the French Ministry to appeal the charges against Miss Granger."

Ginny nodded in understanding and soon Madam Pomfrey was waving her wand at the redhead's shoulder and though Ginny could feel it being repaired, she felt no pain.

"Come back to Hogwarts for the time being," Professor McGonagall suggested, "and once things are settled at the Ministry, you can accompany Dumbledore to Paris."

"Thank you, Professor."

"So, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said slowly as she looked past Ginny and around to survey the scene. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as her gaze lingered upon broken furniture littering the floor and blast marks decorating the walls all as signs of the previous battle. Eventually her eyes settled back on Ginny, a lightness in them that was usually shrouded by stern authority. The corner of her lips turned up just a fraction. "Despite your injury, I'd say you did quite well. Are you sure you don't want to be an Auror?"

Ginny laughed; a mixture of uncertainty and disbelief. Eventually she cleared her throat. "I think I'll stick to quidditch, Professor."

* * *

The next couple of weeks had gone by painstakingly slow as Ginny waited for the Ministry to wrap up the case with Ms. Blake. Luckily, after examining the evidence that Harry, Ron and Dumbledore had brought forth, the Ministry seemed rather eager to put Ms. Blake away. Mr. Scrimgeour had released a statement the following day indicating that though a verdict had not been released, as more research had to be done, that Ms. Blake was being held in detention and that all of her involvement, 'international entanglements' included, would be reassessed. As such, Ms. Blake's verdict had come in against her favour and she was now a permanent resident of Azkaban and Ginny now sat in the hall outside of the French courts. Ron and Harry were with her, but none of them had been allowed into the courts as this was a matter that required the French Wizengamot.

"Don't worry, this'll be over soon," Harry said quietly to Ginny as they sat. "We'll be picking up Hermione in no time."

Ginny sighed. Though she knew he was right, she couldn't help but be anxious. Something could still go wrong.

"Yeah, you're right," she said and offered him a small smile.

Telling Hermione's parents that their only daughter was in a wizarding prison was absolutely horrendous, but she was hoped that she'd have some good news to deliver today. Though the Grangers' had been very supportive of she and Hermione's relationship, this new development must have had them blaming Ginny - she just had a feeling. While they hadn't ordered her out of the house when she stopped by that day a few weeks back, Ginny could tell that they wanted to be alone - which Ginny understood with reluctance. They were enraged over the fact that they were not permitted to visit Hermione and they had endless questions, all of which Ginny tried to answer and explain best she could, but she knew that no matter what she said, she didn't have the answer they wanted hear. But, today, hopefully that'd be different.

"Reckon Hermione knows what's going on?" Ron asked as he sat forward in his chair to look at Ginny and Harry. The dark-haired boy shook his head.

"I doubt it. Dumbledore didn't mention that she'd be involved in today's appeal, and who knows if they've even let her see copies of the Daily Prophet. Though, they may be trying to restore her memories or see if they've been tampered with."

Ginny had no words, she just shook her head in disbelief over the whole situation - it was absolute madness, even now.

Just then, an incessant rumbling could be heard from inside the court room. All three friends sat forward in their chairs to stare expectantly at the large double doors. The chatter became much more loud and lively as the doors slowly swung open and Dumbledore walked out. Harry, Ron and Ginny abruptly stood to meet him.

Ginny urgently searched Dumbledore's face for any indication of how the appeal went, but he stood before her straight-faced. Just when alarm began to bubble up inside of her, the Headmaster cracked a small smile.

"I suspect you'll want to head to Laurophey - Miss Granger is about to be released," he said with that familiar twinkle in his eye.

The youngest Weasley let out a rushed sigh of relief as the news hit home. Before she knew it, she actually felt herself tearing up, but for once in her life she didn't care. She impulsively threw her arms around Dumbledore, but quickly came to her senses and hurriedly pulled back. She felt heat rising to her cheeks as she saw the wide-eyed, yet amused look he was giving Ron and Harry over the exchange.

"Thank you for all your help, Professor," Ginny said as she pushed past her embarrassment. "And I'm really, really sorry for the way I blew up at you in your office a few weeks back. I had no right."

"I understand that it was a very trying time, Miss Weasley," he said calmly with a nod. "I understand where you were coming from. I hope my recent actions have redeemed myself in your eyes," he said lightly in a bit of a teasing manner.

"No redemption necessary," Ginny asserted with a sheepish smirk. "Thank you, again, Professor - so much." He merely smiled and nodded down the hall toward the service lift.

"They are restoring Miss Granger's memories as we speak," Dumbledore informed them. "Once you have retrieved Miss Granger and everyone is settled, please feel free to speak with myself or with Mr. Scrimgeour. Both of us can fill you in on how Hermione can proceed from here - but rest assured, it is good news. I will let Arthur know of the results of Miss Granger's trial and have him inform her parents."

The three thanked the Headmaster once more before rushing to the service lift and heading to the floo network. Once there, they could go to Laurophey to wait for Hermione to be released.

* * *

Ginny impatiently sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs in the Laurophey lobby, bobbing one leg up and down repeatedly in a vain attempt to release her tension. Her, Ron and Harry had been sitting here in the dark and dank room for nearly two hours now. Weak attempts at conversation had died early on, so the three just sat together in uneasy silence while the clock on the wall ticked second after second - a consistent reminder of their anxious wait.

For not the first time, and probably not the last, Ginny let out an impatient huff and propped her chin upon a raised hand as she scowled at the set of doors that Hermione would be coming out of. No matter how hard she stared at the doors, they just stood there closed and taunting. Just being in the facility as a visitor was giving Ginny the creeps. Every now and then, she and the boys would jump in their seats as a random yell would burst from some unknown area of the building. Goosebumps would instantly rise on Ginny's skin at the thought of what must be happening and just what Hermione must've been going through the past few weeks. Even though the guards had been polite to the trio upon arrival, Ginny didn't like them in the least. She could sense something much darker lurking beneath the surface in them and it kept any sort of relief or safety at bay inside of Ginny. If anything, it made her feel worse. If this is how it felt to be a visitor under these circumstances, how would it be here as a prisoner? Ginny subconsciously shivered at the notion. Sure, they were just doing their jobs and sure, all the people here were supposed to be criminals, and perhaps she was just being antagonistic, but...Mione was here, her Mione, and she was no criminal.

Something had been weighing on Ginny's mind and she had refused to bring it up, feeling as though if she mentioned it that would suddenly cause the unwanted truth to come to fruition. However, as they sat here, clock ticking away, she found herself growing increasingly antsy and the words tugged at her mouth. She already knew what the answer was, but being here with nothing to do just gave room for her worries to flourish.

"Harry?" She whispered as she glanced momentarily his way before looking back at the doors.

"Yeah, Gin?" He whispered, and she could hear him shift in his seat to likely face her.

"Sirius was okay when he got out, right? Like, he was in there for a long time and he was in maximum security and he was okay, right?" She tried to sound casual, but she knew she sounded frightened.

She clenched her eyes shut as she felt his hand come to rest on her shoulder.

"Yeah, he was okay. And he's great now. It's different being innocent," he quietly assured her. "Hermione's one of the strongest people I know - she'll be okay."

"I know it's only been a few weeks, but..." Ginny couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She didn't know how, frankly. Hermione was strong and she probably would be okay. Hagrid was in Azkaban for a while and he was fine. Hermione wasn't even with the Dementors. But still, Ginny couldn't help but worry. She just didn't imagine that it would be an experience you could just push out of your mind at the drop of a hat. Regardless, Ginny knew that she had to be strong and offer support and encouragement to her girlfriend - whether it was a long haul or not.

"Come on, Gin."

Ginny shifted her eyes to look at her brother questioningly.

"Hermione will just be pissed off that they messed with her deadlines," he joked. "She'll be fine. Don't worry, alright?"

Ginny offered him a small smile that she knew neither him nor Harry would believe. They could present her with a bucket full of gold or hell, even a contract with the Holyhead Harpies right now, and she knew she'd struggle to crack a smile. She wouldn't feel better until Hermione was in her arms again.

The young Weasley was jerked out of her thoughts as she heard footsteps approaching from the hall on the opposite side of the closed doors. She sat to attention in her chair and glanced nervously at the boys whose demeanours were similar to hers. As the steps got closer, Ginny took a quick glance towards the guards who seemed uninterested at this moment and she quickly got up out of her seat and walked towards the center of the room. She wanted to go closer, but something inside of her stopped her. She was vaguely aware of how the boys had come to stand a few feet behind her.

Her heart raced stronger and stronger as the footsteps approached, from the sound, Ginny could deduce that there were at least a couple of people and she couldn't decipher Hermione's steps from the louder, more authoritative steps.

A moment later the double doors opened to reveal two guards standing on either side of Hermione, dwarfing the young brunette with their imposing statures. Ginny's breath caught as she looked at Hermione. Not because of anything in particular, it was just overwhelming to see her again. Ginny took a few hurried steps forward, but stopped when Hermione didn't move and instead just stared at her. Ginny's eyes searched Hermione as the girl just stared back - the brunette looked stern, her shoulders set, yet she looked so vulnerable. The redhead absently noted that the older girl was wearing the same outfit that she had been wearing when she left London that fateful day a few weeks back.

Ginny grew alert once more as Hermione started to take a few tentative steps towards her, the brunette's pace rapidly increasing until it was a sprint and Ginny just barely had time to open her arms before Hermione crashed into her and wrapped her arms so tightly around the redhead that Ginny's eyes grew wide in surprise. Hermione kept urgently tightening and re-tightening her grasp on Ginny, until a moment later, she felt Hermione relax, more so, collapse in her arms, but she just tightened her grip on the brunette and held her against her as the older girl broke down in quiet shuddering sobs.

"Gin," Hermione cried into the younger girl's shoulder, her muffled voice still sending shivers through Ginny. "I thought she was going to hurt you," she continued in a whimper.

"No, baby, I'm fine. And you, we, don't have to worry about her anymore. It's okay, Mione," Ginny whispered as she buried her head against Hermione's hair, feeling the older girl nod as she clung to Ginny, though continuing to cry. "You're okay, you're safe now. I love you so much," Ginny said, feeling her voice grow tight with emotion as she hugged Hermione desperately. "I love you," she repeated.

After a short while, Hermione's hitching shoulders evened out and Ginny softly caressed the brunette's back.

"Here, let's sit you down for a bit," Ginny whispered as she gently ushered a reluctant Hermione towards the chairs. Gingerly, Ginny set Hermione down and knelt down next to the chair so that she was near eye-level and kissed Hermione softly, yet passionately on the cheek. She nearly teared up when she felt Hermione lean into the kiss. When Ginny pulled back, Hermione leaned her head down onto the redhead's shoulder, and Ginny pushed herself up off the ground a bit to make it less uncomfortable for Hermione, though it was an awkward position for herself to be in.

"You alright, Hermione?"

Ginny glared at her brother, though she knew he cared deeply for Hermione, it just felt like a stupid question to Ginny. Hermione didn't respond initially, though eventually she offered a couple of weak nods.

"How did you guys do it?" Hermione asked. Ginny shared a look with Harry and Ron, and eventually Harry spoke.

"It's a long story. We'll tell you once you're out of here and all settled."

Ginny knew that Hermione must have been feeling extremely worn down and weak, for she would've never accepted an answer like that under any other circumstance. But today, she seemed unwilling to fight for an answer.

"Speaking of which, we should get going," Ginny stated quietly as she turned best she could to make eye contact with the brunette, the action causing Hermione to lift her head up and look at her to give a nod of confirmation.

"You've had a long three weeks," Ginny said, "maybe we should spend a night in France before travelling back to London," she offered a bit tentatively.

"No," Hermione replied tersely and showing greater energy and conviction in that one statement than she had since she'd seen them. "I refuse to stay anywhere near here. I'm fine - we're going to London. I want to go home." Hermione's voice nearly cracked when she spoke the last sentence and Ginny gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Okay," Ginny nodded as she rubbed Hermione's back. "Sure you're strong enough to travel?"

"Yes. God, Ginny, please, I just want to go home."

Ginny's heart cracked as she saw the look in her girlfriend's eyes and heard the hurt in her voice.

"Okay, baby, we'll get you home, then," she promised as she leaned up to kiss the brunette once more on the cheek.

"Do my parents know?" Hermione asked, her voice breathless as she looked to the three of them apprehensively.

"Yes," Ginny replied with a heavy breath. "I told them." She paused and waited for Hermione's reaction. The brunette just stared at her expectantly. "My dad, maybe my mom too, is with them right now to tell them that you're safe. By the time we got news that you were getting out, there wouldn't have been time for them to travel here, but I promised to bring you home."

"Thank you," Hermione said weakly as her gaze dropped to the ground.

"They know the full story," Ginny went on. "They can't wait to see you again." The redhead purposely left out her fear that the Grangers blamed her for this whole ordeal.

"Then let's go," Hermione declared as she rose from her seat and stared the three of them down defiantly, as if they were going to try and stop her.

Ginny stood to put her arm around the brunette's waist, and soon they were headed back to London - hopefully to never return to Laurophey.

**AN**: Well, our girls are finally reunited - again. More Hermione/Ginny time in the next few chapters. Huge thank you to everyone for their feedback on the previous chapter and on the story in general.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

_**Ginny POV**_

"Do you need anything else, dear?"

Ginny glared up at her mom for what felt like the hundredth time since they'd arrived at the Granger household in London. While Ginny was grateful for her parents' support, she didn't appreciate how her mother was attempting to smother Hermione. She knew that was just how her mother was, but right now that wasn't what Hermione needed - at least not from her.

"I'm fine, thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied quietly.

At the moment, the brunette was sitting rather stiffly on the couch next to Ginny. Though Hermione was home, her posture was erect and alert. Ginny glanced over at Hermione, who held her hand with a fearsome grip, and wished she could do something about how on edge Hermione seemed.

"Molly," Mr. Weasley chided softly. "She needs space. She'll let us know if she needs anything," he said as he turned to the girl in question and smiled gently at her. "I'm sure they have everything under control here. Perhaps we should go," he offered and Ginny hoped that her thanks shone through in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she looked at her husband a bit bewildered, but quickly retracted her reaction. "Sorry, you're right," she smiled a bit tightly. She sighed before turning to Mr. and Mrs. Granger and offered them kind smiles. "I'm so sorry that we had to meet again under these circumstances - I was hoping for tea or something a bit milder," she joked weakly.

"No, thank you for keeping us updated, we appreciate it," Mr. Granger said as he stood, Mrs. Granger joining him a moment later. "We're happy that Hermione had so many people looking after her over there."

Ginny searched his statement for any hint of aggression or malice, but found none. If she was right, he was being entirely sincere. All the while, she worked to swallow the guilt that Mr. Granger's words invoked. _'Looking after Hermione'_...well, apparently not good enough.

"It's so scary having her so far away, you just never know, and then this...," Mrs. Granger trailed off before her husband put his arm around her shoulders and she righted herself and smiled bravely at Ginny's parents. "Thank you, honestly. We can see how much each of you care for our daughter, and it's such a comfort knowing she has that support."

"Not to worry," Mr. Weasley smiled. "Please let us know if you need anything at all - we'd be more than happy to help."

"Thank you," the Grangers said in unison as they smiled in a united front.

"Ginny, you'll be staying here?" Her father asked as he looked to her in question.

The redhead looked over to Mr. and Mrs. Granger as she didn't know what their stance was on this. She gently squeezed Hermione's hand when she felt the girl stiffen furthermore at Ginny's hesitation.

"If you don't mind, Ginny, I think it'd be best if you stay," Mrs. Granger requested.

"Absolutely," Ginny replied as she nodded vigorously, exchanging looks between both sets of parents.

"Alright, write to us soon, Ginny," Mr. Weasley said as he nodded her way.

Ginny contemplated getting up to hug her parents fiercely, but she just couldn't bring herself to part from Hermione. And in the case that she would've wanted to separate, the grip on Ginny's hand and Hermione's proximity would've banished those thoughts straight away. So instead, Ginny settled with just promising her parents that she'd keep them updated and soon they disapparated along with Ron and Harry.

Soon, the house was still and quiet, the only sounds being the fire in the fireplace crackling and Crookshanks quiet purring. The four sat in silence for several moments, Ginny afraid to really look at Mr. and Mrs. Granger - afraid of the looks they might give her - so instead she just quietly watched Hermione.

"Did you need anything? Want to lie down?" Mrs. Granger asked gently as she scooted forward on her cushion and eyed her daughter concernedly. A moment later, Hermione nodded.

"Sure," she replied impassively.

Ginny adjusted herself slightly and kissed the top of Hermione's head before gently encouraging the older girl to stand. Ginny looked to the Grangers who began to rise from their seats and she nodded to them to let them know that she had everything under control. They quietly sat back down and nodded back. The redhead let her gaze linger on them for a moment before walking with Hermione upstairs. Ginny walked right past Hermione's room and ushered her into the bathroom. Only once they were inside did the brunette look around in question before a frown formed on her face.

"Gin, I just want to lie down," she quietly pleaded as her shoulders sagged.

"I know, baby," Ginny whispered as she sat Hermione down on the edge of the tub and began to run the bath. "I think you'll feel better after a nice bath, though." Hermione looked pained and shook her head wordlessly. "Mione, you know I'm right," Ginny tenderly pointed out. Eventually she received a resigned nod from her girlfriend.

Ginny leaned down and tested the water with her hand and satisfied with the result, scooted over to Hermione and gingerly undressed her. There was nothing sexual about their interaction, but Ginny could feel the great amount of trust and love that was involved nevertheless.

She helped ease Hermione into the water and sat next to her on the edge of the tub while Hermione just relaxed in the comforting warmth of the water. After giving the brunette several minutes of peace, Ginny helped her wash up and rinse off. Quickly retrieving a fresh towel and pyjamas for her, Ginny stood by as Hermione dried off and got changed. Already, the redhead could notice an improvement in her girlfriend's demeanour.

Waiting for a signal from the older girl, Ginny then led them to the bedroom. She was about to ask Hermione if she wanted anything when she was caught off guard by the brunette pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Gin," Hermione whispered, the first either of them had spoken since their minor debate about the bath.

Ginny shook her head against Hermione's and responded, "No. I'm just so happy you're home."

"Me too," Hermione breathed in a shaky voice, but ultimately holding herself together. "I owe you so much. What you did for me, it was incredible...and I don't even know the half of it yet."

"I would do anything for you." Ginny realized how cheesy the statement was when it was partway out of her mouth, but she didn't care to stop it.

"Gin," Hermione whispered and the redhead felt herself being pulled closer to the older girl. "Well, you didn't have to do any of it, but you did, and I will never forget that. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Please don't say those things," Ginny implored. "You know I hate when you talk like that."

"But it's true," Hermione argued while giving Ginny one of those stern looks that the redhead didn't realize she could miss so much.

"No, it's not," Ginny retorted. She sensed Hermione readying to retaliate, so she cut off the impending defense. "Let's just say we're both lucky to have one another."

"How?" The older girl cried in a strained whisper while pulling out of their embrace. "Ms. Blake could've killed you, or Harry, or Ron! If she didn't kill you, she could've absolutely ruined you and your entire family and I dragged you into it," Hermione said as her voice broke with emotion.

"Hermione," Ginny said, her voice now sharp and catching the brunette's attention. "She had you under the Imperius Curse. You were encouraged by everyone, literally everyone, to take that position with the Ministry. Even Dumbledore didn't know what was coming." Hermione opened her mouth to object, but Ginny silenced her with a look. "And, she was one of the most important people in the Ministry - she pulled a lot of tricks and fooled a lot of people to get to that point. However, **you** are the one that discovered her secrets and exposed her. You're amazing! When I think of all of this, I don't wish I didn't know you, I think about how incredibly proud I am to not only know you, but to call you my girlfriend. It's unreal!"

Hermione still looked put off, frowning deeply at Ginny, but eventually her features softened and she let out a reluctant laugh. "You really are too sweet."

"That's all well and good, just don't tell too many people," the younger girl winked.

"I love you so much, Gin," Hermione smiled.

Ginny brought her hand up to gently cup the side of Hermione's face before leaning forward and capturing the girl's lips in a kiss. They hadn't had a full-on kiss since they'd last seen each other before the chaos struck and Ginny relished the feeling of the girl's lips on her own. The kiss lasted for several long moments, and eventually Ginny felt Hermione tilt her head up to deepen the kiss. The redhead pulled Hermione closer and they kissed for a while longer until pulling back and just holding each other.

"You must be tired," Ginny said softly as she pulled back to look the brunette in the eye. "Let's get you into bed."

Hermione sighed, but walked over to the bed to climb under the covers. She propped up the pillows though and sat back against them, looking at Ginny.

"You're not going to sleep?"

"No, I can't right now. My mind is racing," Hermione sighed once more before patting the spot next to her on the bed. "Sit with me." Wordlessly, Ginny crawled onto the bed and joined her girlfriend.

She watched quietly as Hermione twiddled her fingers and stared a bit vacantly at the bedspread. Ginny was about to interrupt her thoughts when Hermione's voice rang out through the silence.

"So how did it all happen? How did you get Ms. Blake to reveal Brumski and how did you get her wand?" Her eyes didn't leave the bed.

Ginny sighed and readjusted herself on the bed, frowning as her mind went over the events in question.

"Long story," she said.

"So Harry tells me," Hermione replied.

"Yeah," Ginny nodded.  
With another heavy sigh, Ginny went into the story. While Hermione had heard bits and pieces earlier, Ginny told her the full picture, though she decided it best not to mention the injury she sustained in the duel with Ms. Blake. She just knew that Hermione would blame herself for it and that's the last thing Ginny wanted right now. At the end, Hermione slowly nodded.

"Wow, you guys were brilliant – mad, but brilliant. Thank you so much," she said.

"Just our good deed for the year," Ginny joked lightly, earning her a tired, yet affectionate look from the brunette.

"So she's locked up for good now?" Hermione asked, though it was actually more of a statement.

"Yes," Ginny assured her. "Life in Azkaban; maximum security; dementors galore."

"Good," the older girl nearly spat. Ginny watched as Hermione's shoulders tensed and her brows furrowed together, her eyes flashing with anger. "That woman ruined everything! Everything!"

"I know, Love," Ginny said quietly.

Hermione was about to say more, but she cut herself off and instead just sat silently, tensely on the bed.

"You have every right to be mad," Ginny announced firmly, yet gently. Hermione just nodded. A moment later, she let out a small sniffle and turned to face the younger girl.

"Ginny, I was so worried about you," she said in a small voice. "When Ms. Blake was speaking to me in the interrogation room, I let it slip that you and I were still together. I thought she was going to harm you...I would've never forgiven myself."

Ginny shushed Hermione and wrapped her arms around the brunette as she began to cry once more.

"It's okay, Mione, I'm fine. I was at Harry's - she couldn't get to me. It's okay."

Hermione calmed down quickly this time and was soon just resting in Ginny's arms. A moment later, Ginny spoke up once more.

"I was really worried about you, Mione. I didn't know how your time...there, would be." She just felt she had to side-step mentioning Laurophey for now - it just felt like the sensitive thing to do. She felt Hermione shake her head against her.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Gin," Hermione said quietly.

"Sure, whenever you're ready though, I'm here," the redhead promised as she kissed the top of Hermione's head. The brunette nodded once more.

Ginny held her girlfriend for a while longer and felt the girl relaxing considerably. Eventually, she felt Hermione's breathing deepen and she realized that the girl must've fallen asleep. Carefully, she pulled Hermione off of her and laid her down on the bed, doing her best not to wake her. Laying back on the bed herself, she tried to find sleep, but in truth it wasn't even 8 o'clock at night and she just wasn't even remotely tired. With a glance over at her sleeping companion, Ginny saw that Hermione was very much asleep, and decided it would be safe to get up and at least go grab a glass of water.

With focused stealth, Ginny cautiously climbed out of bed and tip-toed for the door. With exaggerated slowness, she opened and then closed the door before softly padding downstairs.

"Oh," she exclaimed quietly as she entered the kitchen and came upon Hermione's parents seated at the table. "Sorry," she whispered as she contemplated walking out of the room.

"Ginny, is everything okay?" Mrs. Granger asked as she began to rise from her seat.

"Oh, yes, yes," Ginny replied hurriedly as she put a hand out to indicate to Mrs. Granger that there was no need for alarm. "Hermione's fine - she's just sleeping right now. I just came to get some water," she announced as she gestured to the fridge.

"Oh, okay, that's very good to hear. I was worried she wouldn't be able to sleep," Mrs. Granger went on and her husband nodded in agreement.

Ginny gave them a quiet smile and nodded in turn. She sensed that heavy silence was about to cloak them and without another thought she blurt out her pre-emptive defense.

"I know you guys might hate me or blame me for what happened to Hermione. And in all honesty, I can see where you're coming from - I get it. But please believe me when I say that none of us knew that this was going on or what was going to happen. If I had even the slightest clue that this was going to happen, I would've never encouraged Hermione to go to Paris. We did all that we could to get her out of Laurophey as soon as possible - this was the best we could do." She could see that Hermione's parents were about to speak, but she charged on with her speech. "But even if you do blame me for all of this, you need to know now that I will be with Hermione through every step of this and anything that follows. I love her and I am here for her wholly and completely and whatever she needs or wants, I will do my best to give her. So I really hope we can get along - for Hermione's sake. The last thing she needs is for us to be at odds. But if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, please let me know. I intend to be in Hermione's life a long time...so, I really hope we can work things out."

As Ginny finished, she realized that she had dropped her defiant stance and had relaxed her demeanour, though she was still holding her head high. She continued to lock eyes with Hermione's parents and waited for their reaction. Her heart raced and she felt her eyes grow wide as Mr. Granger reached over and pushed out an empty chair and gestured towards it.

"Ginny, please, have a seat."

With a flurry of thoughts that whirled into an unreadable blur, Ginny crossed the room and sat down, tightly clasping her hands together in her lap as she glanced between Mr. and Mrs. Granger. She nearly flinched when Mrs. Granger reached out a hand - Ginny's breath caught and only released a relieved sigh when Mrs. Granger chuckled softly.

"It's okay, Ginny. We're not mad at you at all. I'm sorry that you thought we were upset with you. We just had so much on our minds and we were so worried about Hermione. But please know that we were sincere in what we said to your parents earlier - your support has been incredible, and we know that Hermione is in good hands," she smiled as she gave Ginny's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Oh Merlin, you guys scared me," Ginny said in a breathless laugh as she managed to smile at them.

"Sorry," Mr. Granger offered. "Things could've been far, far worse for Hermione if you guys weren't there to help and for that we're forever grateful. And I believe it's safe for me to say that I speak for both of us when I say that we're very touched by how dedicated you are to our daughter - it's obvious that you really love her and we know that she feels the same for you."

Despite her best efforts, the young girl felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"Hermione is a bit fragile right now, but we're well aware of how strong she is and know that she'll be fine and she'll be better even sooner thanks to your support."

"Well, don't disregard your support either," Ginny countered. "She really needs you guys right now. Nothing compares to the love of a parent." They smiled at her and she blushed even deeper. "Well," she started as she cleared her throat, "I'm just very happy to hear that you don't hate me."

"Not at all," Mrs. Granger laughed with a kind smile.

"You said you wanted water?" Mr. Granger asked as he began to rise.

"Oh, no, it's fine, no need to get up, please," Ginny urged as she stood up hurriedly. "I can get it myself, and I should probably get back up to Hermione, just in case."

"Sure," they said in unison. "Have a good night. Thanks again."

"No, thank you," Ginny insisted as she looked at them earnestly. "Good night."

* * *

Ginny quietly ascended the stairs to Hermione's room, drink in hand. As she reached Hermione's door, she slowed to a stop and tentatively placed her hand against the door and pushed it forward, praying that it wouldn't creak. Though her prayer was answered, she was upset by the scene that greeted her. She rushed over to Hermione's side, still quiet, and placed her glass down on the nightstand before cautiously reaching down to place her hands on the brunette's fidgeting body. Ginny could immediately feel the goosebumps and sweat on Hermione's skin.

"Mione," she whispered as she gently tried to still her girlfriend. "Mione," she repeated a bit louder as she gave the brunette a small shake. She took her hands off of Hermione as her fits increased in severity for a split second before dying off completely and Hermione's eyes snapped open in panic coupled with a gasp that escaped her lips. As her brown eyes settled upon Ginny, there was a moment of stillness before Hermione dramatically relaxed.

"Ginny," she breathed as her head collapsed back into the pillow.

"Sorry," Ginny mumbled as she sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand softly upon Hermione's hip through the covers. "You were having a nightmare."

Hermione groaned and rubbed her eyes in frustration before releasing a sigh. "Thanks," she said in a bit of a dull voice. "I'm fine now."

"Do you want some water?" Ginny asked carefully. After a moment's contemplation, Hermione nodded and forced herself upright in bed. Ginny scooted forward and reached to the glass of water on the nightstand and held it out to her girlfriend.

"Thank you," Hermione said softly, her voice a bit raspy, as she tentatively took the glass and slowly brought it up to her parched lips. Several moments later, she had drained the glass of its contents and set the now-empty glass down on the table with a clink. She sighed heavily once more before lying down again.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked with that same level of caution as she put her hand back on Hermione's hip. "Do you want to talk about your dream?"

"No," Hermione said as she shook her head.

"Okay," Ginny replied dumbly at a loss for words. She watched her lover, feeling rather helpless. Reaching out, she tenderly pushed a stray strand of curls away from Hermione's face and tucked it behind the brunette's ear. Bending down, she placed a gentle kiss on Hermione's temple before pulling back and swiftly moving around to the other side of the bed, noting the frown on Hermione's face, and climbed under the covers to join her girlfriend. Instantly, Hermione repositioned herself so that she had an arm and leg draped over the redhead's body - Ginny automatically putting an arm protectively around Hermione's shoulders and pulling her towards her to plant a fleeting kiss on the top of her head before relaxing her grip.

"I love you," Ginny whispered as she laid her head back on the pillow. She smiled as she felt Hermione lay a few kisses upon her collarbone.

Numerous minutes passed and Ginny could tell that Hermione still hadn't fallen asleep. From the way that Hermione's body felt taut with tension in the younger girl's arms, Ginny could tell that the brunette wasn't about to find sleep anytime soon. After some time, Ginny felt Hermione fidget restlessly against her and release a quiet sigh.

"Why don't you tell me what happened in your dream," Ginny suggested softly.

Hermione turned her head to look up at Ginny, flashing her an apologetic look. "Sorry - I'm keeping you up. I'll give you some space," she said as she began to lift herself off of the redhead, only to be firmly pulled back down.

"No, don't worry. Tell me about your dream," Ginny repeated.

"It's not important, really. I-"

Ginny huffed, effectively cutting off Hermione's protests, and continued on with her own. "Mione, it clearly upset you. Maybe you'll feel better if you talk about it," she argued.

"Gin, please," Hermione pleaded as she buried her head just a bit against Ginny's collarbone.

A few moments of silence permeated the room as Ginny internally debated if she should forge on with the argument or let it slide. She inhaled heavily before speaking. "Well, I wish you'd tell me. I truly think you'd feel much better if you did, but if you're not comfortable doing that, then just know that you can talk to me about anything at anytime, okay?" She compromised.

A beat passed and Ginny felt the brunette nod against her. "Thank you, Gin." The redhead held her breath unknowingly waiting for Hermione to go on, but when no more words were said she exhaled heavily, indirectly causing Hermione to readjust herself.

"I want to tell you, Gin, I just-" Ginny forced herself to patiently wait for Hermione to gather her thoughts. "I hate thinking about it."

"Well, I don't want to upset you, you know," Ginny clarified. "I just thought you would feel better if you talked about it. But if it's too upsetting, I won't push you."

"Well, it was about you," Hermione admitted slowly in a voice that Ginny was just barely able to hear.

"Me? What happened?" Ginny asked as she tilted her head to look down at the brunette was who looking down towards the foot of the bed anyway. Hermione inhaled deeply, her shoulders rising as she took in the breath before relaxing a bit heavily upon Ginny once more.

"Um, well, when I was in Laurophey...some of the guards, they manipulated my thoughts - made me live through different scenarios, like it was some sort of game, a sick game," Hermione explained, her voice growing unsteady as her account of what happened went on. "Thankfully when they ended the spells I was able to tell that the scenarios weren't real, but still," Hermione's trailed off and Ginny could hear the girl sniffle in the darkness of the room. The redhead instantly pulled Hermione closer and began to rub her back. "And as if I wasn't worried enough already. Ms. Blake talked about hurting you, and I just had no idea if you were okay...If I wasn't worrying on my own, they were doing it for me."

"Mione, I'm so sorry," was all she could offer, at a loss for words, really. She was absolutely furious that her love had to not only go through Hell with Ms. Blake and being sent to prison at all, but then the people there made it worse - it was just too much to bear.

"It's fine," Hermione mumbled. "Like I said, it wasn't real."

"They should be locked up for what they did to you. Those spells are illegal, too," Ginny argued.

"Gin...please, not right now. Do you want me to tell you about my dream or not?" Hermione asked wearily.

"Yes, sorry, go on."

"Well, they made up scenarios like, my parents disowning me, having my sentence extended, things like that, but the absolute worst was about you."

Ginny lay quietly, allowing Hermione to take her time, and continued to caress the brunette's back as she waited.

"Essentially," Hermione started, "it was of me finally being released. Nobody was there to meet me when I got out, which was bad enough, but when I went back to London, things got worse. I went to the Burrow to speak with your parents, to find out where you were living these days, but they slammed the door in my face. They said they didn't want to see me, couldn't believe I had the audacity to show up, and assured me that you would never want to see me again either."

"Mione-" Ginny interjected. The idea of **any** of those things happening was just complete rubbish and she couldn't help but want to put them out right away.

"I know, I know," Hermione chided. "Anyway, so you can imagine that I was already really upset. So, eventually I was able to figure out that you were living in Wales, so I went there and was able to locate your flat and made the mistake of going there."

"Oh Merlin," Ginny groaned in anticipation of what was coming. She subconsciously hugged Hermione tighter, possibly a bit too tight, and only realized it when Hermione chuckled lightly and looked up at Ginny with a bit of a teasing look. "Oh, sorry," Ginny mumbled as she relaxed her hold on the brunette. Hermione planted a soft kiss on Ginny's collarbone before continuing her recollection.

"For some reason, the door was unlocked and for some reason I went in uninvited. I went down the hall and what I assumed was your bedroom door was open just a crack." Hermione sighed before going on. "Well, sure enough, you were in bed with another girl and she was certainly thoroughly enjoying herself as you put your talents to work. I wanted to run away, but I guess the guards set it up so that I couldn't. Instead, I was rooted to the ground and had to watch for what felt like ages. Sadly, the worst part was hearing you tell her over and over again that you loved her." Hermione's voice cracked at the end and Ginny felt the brunette tightening her grip on Ginny, the redhead dipping her head down to kiss the top of her girlfriend's head.

"I know the whole thing was fake, but you have no idea how real it all seemed. Anyway, it didn't stop there. So eventually you two realized I was there. The coldness in your eyes when you looked at me," Hermione paused for a second, "I've never seen your eyes like that. It was absolutely wretched," Hermione finished. "Anyway, my nightmare was just a flashback to that..."

"Where do I even begin in response to that," Ginny sighed, drawing a small laugh out of the brunette. "Well, okay, you don't think any of that could've happened, right?"

"No, I can't really imagine that. But I really had no contact with the outside world, I had no idea what you or anyone else was thinking about the entire situation," Hermione reasoned.

"Well, everyone in my family, even Percy, knew that you were innocent. Even if you did have to serve the full five years, my family would never turn you away when you got out, and I hope that you know that I'd be right there waiting for you," Ginny proclaimed with earnest.

"Five years in a long time, Gin. You would've been done with school for four years...a lot can happen," Hermione pointed out in quiet rebuttal.

"It could've been ten years and I'd still love you just the same. Hermione, I don't know how you can't understand by now how much I love you. There's no one else for me. Even if you had said to me during those five years, 'Oh Ginny, I don't want to be with you anymore because I'm pretending to be selfless, even though I'm actually just crazy for thinking that I'm doing you a favour'," she ignored Hermione's laugh and went on, "Even **if** that were the case, you know how relentless I can be; I'd just try to win you back once you got out."

"Like **that** would take any effort," Hermione teased; the turn in the brunette's attitude giving Ginny just a bit of relief.

"Hermione, you're the only one for me...," Ginny declared in quiet sincerity.

"Gin," Hermione said softly before tilting her head to lay a lingering kiss on the redhead's shoulder. "I don't know what I've done to deserve you," she said with a slight shake of her head, a smile in her voice, "but I'm so happy and I'm so lucky."

"Silly girl," Ginny joked as she dipped her head to kiss Hermione's brown locks once more. "Try to get some sleep - I know you're exhausted." The only response the younger girl received was Hermione slowly nodding her head.

Only after Ginny felt Hermione's breathing deepen in slumber did the redhead allow herself to fall asleep.

**AN**: Hello again! So, things aren't quite back to normal for the girls just yet, but at least poor Hermione is home again :p Thank you again for all your feedback and support! I hope you liked the latest update.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

_**Hermione POV**_

Hermione slowly felt herself awakening, though her eyes initially refused to open. She was momentarily confused when she felt warm and the bedding below her was actually soft and comfortable. She felt even more perplexed when she heard breathing next to her. Her eyes snapped open to see a mane of red hair and slightly freckled skin that sent the brunette's heart a flutter. She was home, she was safe, and she was with Ginny.

Involuntarily, Hermione's mind flashed back to the nightmare she had been having when the redhead had woken her the previous night. With a shocking amount of urgency, Hermione closed the space that had formed between them throughout the night - steadily ignoring how meek the action made her feel. Only after did she realize that her movements could and did disrupt her girlfriend's sleep. She watched in stillness as Ginny stirred and eventually stretched out before unceremoniously flopping onto her side to face Hermione, her eyes still closed as she buried her head into the pillow.

"Gin?" Hermione asked quietly through the affectionate smile that had formed on her face. "Are you awake?"

Ginny stirred furthermore but eventually blinked her eyes open.

"Mm," Ginny noised as she rubbed the side of her face momentarily. "Mione, hey," she smiled a moment later.

"I'm sorry I woke you," Hermione spoke softly.

Ginny grinned lazily before lacing an arm around Hermione's waist. "No you're not."

Hermione leaned forward and kissed Ginny's forehead before pulling back with a smirk. "Okay, maybe not."

Ginny rubbed her eyes and forced herself up so she was propped up on an elbow as her eyes scanned the room. "What time is it?" She asked, her voice a further indication of how groggy she was.

"I think it's about 6:30," Hermione announced, laughing softly as Ginny allowed herself to fall back onto the bed with a groan.

"Blimey, are you kidding? Mione, have mercy," she chuckled.

"You can go back to sleep," Hermione offered as she smiled at the girl who had closed her eyes once again.

"Mm," Ginny grunted, pulling another giggle out Hermione. "Are you going back to sleep?"

"No, I don't think so," Hermione answered.

"Oh sweet Merlin, why can't I be dating someone who isn't an early bird," the redhead mumbled.

Normally, Hermione would've shot a very clever quip Ginny's way, but she just didn't feel up to it today. Instead she just smiled softly and offered, "I'm sorry."

"Oh come on," Ginny grumbled. Hermione let out a small yelp as Ginny put both arms around her and she found herself being pulled partially on top of the redhead. "You know I'm just teasing." Hermione laughed silently as Ginny wrapped her arms securely around the brunette and kissed her head.

Hermione was content to just stay where she was, eventually letting her head rest upon Ginny's chest. She closed her eyes as the sound of Ginny's heartbeat filled her head and offered an odd sort of comfort. A short while later, Hermione's eyes opened as she felt Ginny's arms falling away from her, and she looked up to realize that the redhead had fallen asleep again. Hermione gave an admonishing smirk before gently, carefully, removing herself from the younger girl's body. As discretely as possible, Hermione climbed out of bed and after one last glance back to ensure that Ginny was still asleep, she left the room and headed downstairs.

Quickly, the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled Hermione's senses and she smiled fondly. She felt safe just knowing that her parents were here, the murmur of their voices confirming their presence furthermore.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted quietly as she came to a stop in the doorway to the kitchen, folding her arms against her chest, realizing that she should've put a jumper on before coming down.

"Hermione," her dad smiled as she turned to see her.

"Sweetheart, come in, have a seat," her mother offered as she hurried over to the table and pulled out a chair.

"Thank you," Hermione said as she sat down, smiling further as her mother gave her a rare kiss on the head.

"Coffee? Toast?" Her dad asked.

Hermione offered him a nod. "Sure, thank you."

A while later, she took a small bite of her toast and washed it down with a mouthful of coffee. Both felt like heaven to her after the gruel at Laurophey.

"Did you sleep okay?" Her mother asked as she stirred her own cup of coffee.

"Yes, very well," Hermione smiled as her thoughts wandered to the girl upstairs in her bed.

"That's great, honey," her dad said.

Silence crept into their conversation and Hermione knew that they wanted to ask her questions, but were afraid of pushing her.

"I'm fine," she assured them. "You can ask me whatever," she declared with a shrug as she took another bite of her toast. Though what she said wasn't exactly the truth, she knew that she couldn't hide from things forever too.

"We know that if you want to tell us things, you will. And you just got back yesterday, we're not about to rush you into anything. Take it easy; we encourage it. All we want to know is if you're doing okay and if there's anything we can do to help."

"Thank you - that means a lot to me," Hermione said. "I'm doing about as good as I can be right now. I know I have a lot of support, so that helps tremendously. I'll be back on my feet in no time," she smiled bravely.

"No need to rush, though," her dad stated in that quiet authoritative voice he used every now and then. "We know that you always want to get things done and get them done as quickly and efficiently as possible, but in this case, resting is probably best - at least for a while."

"I know," she assured them. "I will go speak with Dumbledore in a few days, just to see what the situation is, but outside of that, I know I need to sit back for a bit."

"Good."

"Speaking of support," her mother started with a bit of lilt in her voice as she eyed her daughter with a bit of a twinkle in her eye, "Ginny came down last night - gave us a bit of a speech." Her eyes flitted towards Mr. Granger who offered a knowing smile.

"Speech?" Hermione asked with a frown as she set her food down. "About what?"

"No need to worry, dear," her mother assured her with a bit of a laugh. "It was a very sweet, moving speech." Hermione looked accusingly at both of her parents as they left her hanging with no immediate explanation.

"She just let us know that she's in it for the long haul with you - whether we supported that or not," her father explained.

"Well why wouldn't you support it all of a sudden?" Hermione asked as confusion set in - that part of her over-riding the sweet butterflies that formed in her stomach at the thought of Ginny's proclamation.

"Ginny was under the impression that we blamed her for the whole mess with the Ministry," her mother answered.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "Why? You don't do you?" She questioned further as she began to eye her parents in challenge.

"No, we definitely don't blame her. I think she might've gotten that idea because we were so preoccupied with worrying about you. Perhaps we were cold to her? I'm not sure, actually. But we assured her last night that we're not remotely upset with her and instead are very happy that you have her to lean on."

"Good," Hermione nearly snapped, trying to bite back the feeling of accusation towards her parents for making Ginny feel bad, even if unintentionally. She felt guilt rising within her as her parents both eyed her. "I mean - thank you," she said with a resigned nod. She sighed before continuing. "I'm sorry, it's just that Ginny's really...important to me." She looked up to make eye contact with her parents who were watching her patiently. "She's been absolutely amazing throughout all of this, not just the past few weeks, but the entire thing - ever since Mr. Noirent told me about the job. I just don't want to give her any reason to leave...you know?" She asked, her expression growing vulnerable. "I don't want her to feel unappreciated - especially after all that she's done. In fact, some part of me is surprised that she's still around."

"Why?" Her father asked as his expression changed - Hermione instantly recognizing it as the one that came up when his fatherly protective instincts kicked in. She nearly rolled her eyes at how he had such faith in Ginny a moment ago and one simple comment made him doubt the redhead's devotion.

"Nothing bad, dad," she chuckled. "Ginny's very loyal - as you should've seen last night," she said deliberately as she looked pointedly at him. "It's just that we've been through a lot this year and I'm sure there are lot of other couples that would've broke up over some of the things that happened. But, if anything, it made us stronger. She's the best thing that ever happened to me..."

"We're very happy to hear that," her mother smiled. "She's a really sweet, brave, and yes, loyal girl. We're very happy for you."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm hungry again," Hermione muttered as she and Ginny watched TV that evening - Ginny still rather fascinated by the device.

"That's a good thing," Ginny offered encouragingly. "I'm betting you didn't eat much the past while. You could use a few more meals," she said in an almost apologetic tone.

"No, can't say the food there was overly appetizing or nutritious," Hermione responded flatly. "But we just ate dinner a couple of hours ago," she reasoned.

"So? What do you want? Let's making something," Ginny replied brightly as she stood up from the couch. "Come on," she waved when Hermione remained unmoved.

"No, it's fine. I should stay on a regular eating schedule-"

"Oh Mione, honestly," Ginny complained. "I'm hungry, too."

Hermione couldn't resist the smirk that formed across her lips as she flashed her girlfriend a look. "Ah yes, that Weasley appetite of yours."

Ginny nodded, unfazed. "I won't even use magic," she offered lightly.

"I wouldn't **let** you use magic - not in my parents' house," Hermione remarked, though she found herself uncurling from her spot on the couch and going to stand.

"Oo, this will be fun," Ginny stated in excited anticipation as her eyes shone with enthusiasm that rubbed off on Hermione, no matter how reluctant she was. "What are we making?" Ginny asked as she began helping herself to look through cupboards and the fridge.

Hermione chuckled before she joined Ginny in her search of the kitchen.

"Hmmm," she said in contemplation as her eyes scanned the fridge. "I don't want anything too big. Maybe just a salad." She fully anticipated the groan that Ginny would give and wasn't disappointed. With a laugh, she added, "You can make something else if you want."

"No," Ginny grumbled, "salad is fine."

As they finished preparing the food and Hermione began serving the salad, something caught the light in the kitchen and its glare consequently caught the older girl's eye. Her gaze shifted as she saw Ginny standing off to the side and toying with the gold chain of a necklace that Hermione knew too well. She gulped subconsciously at the thought of the item.

"Here you go," Hermione said as she presented Ginny with her bowl, the brunette's gaze dropping from Ginny's eyes to the necklace once more.

They moved to the kitchen table and began to eat. No conversation had started up yet between the two of them. While Ginny's silence seemed easy and unconcerned, Hermione's was less so. The brunette was lifting a forkful of food up to her mouth when she hesitated and eventually set it back down in her bowl.

"Gin?"

"Hm?" Ginny asked through a mouthful of food, though not opening her mouth to respond like a certain other Weasley would have. Ginny swallowed her food, perhaps a bit forcefully from the look of strain on her face, but spoke, "What's up?"

"Um, I-" Hermione's eyes momentarily flitted away before settling upon the redhead once more. "I have some bad news," she announced regretfully.

"What?" Ginny asked, her voice soft and heavily laced with concern. "What's wrong?"

"I never got my ring back," she said in a solemn voice. "The guards said that I never came in with one - which is a complete lie. I should've fought harder for it, but I was just so eager to get out, I-"

"Hey, hey," Ginny interjected in a hushed voice as she put her hand out to rest on top of Hermione's. "It's okay, don't blame yourself. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get it back, but...honestly, the most important thing is that **you're** safe and **you're **back."

"But Gin-" Hermione protested.

"I know it's upsetting, Hermione," Ginny interjected once more. "We'll get you a new one."

"But I won't be able to duplicate the charm to sync up with yours," Hermione argued, feeling exasperated for some reason over the fact that Ginny was being so easy-going about this whole thing.

"But if we got two new rings, you could sync them, right?" The younger girl asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied, if a bit reluctantly.

"Okay," Ginny nodded. "But really, hopefully we won't even need them. Hopefully you stay here in London."

The brunette shook her head, just the thought of going away again, especially to Paris, gave her the shivers.

"I won't be leaving London any time soon, I can promise you that."

"Hermione," Ginny said in a serious voice, the weight of the impending statement or question cemented with how Ginny set down her fork and turned to face Hermione furthermore. "What was it like? I know you told me a bit yesterday, but..."

Before Hermione had a chance to speak, Ginny blurted out, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but, I think it'd be good for you to talk about it. And I also want to know."

Hermione sighed wearily as she reclined a bit in her chair. She smiled as Ginny moved her chair to sit next to Hermione who had been seated at the head of the table.

"It was," Hermione paused as she struggled for the right words. "It was...wretched," she laughed feebly and allowed Ginny to grasp her hand. "I know I was only there for a few weeks, but those were a few weeks I'd be more than happy to forget."

"Mione, I'm so sorry," Ginny said gently, the remorse in her voice blatantly clear.

"No, it's not your fault," Hermione replied with conviction as she eyed Ginny meaningfully. "Anyway, as you know, I wasn't on the level with the Dementors, but it was still so cold...I could hear the other prisoners screaming, and their Dementors would do 'rounds' I suppose and fly past all cells on each level at least once a day, so they were closer than I'd have liked them to be at various points."

Hermione stalled as she recalled the Dementors flying past her cell. The feeling of all the happiness she'd ever known being sucked right out of her was indescribable. As the days wore on, it felt like there was less for them to rob each time, but just knowing they were coming, **feeling** them coming just frightened her.

"God, Mione," Ginny mumbled as she tightened her grip on the brunette's hand and laid her free hand on top of their entwined hands.

"Well, it wasn't all bad," Hermione promised with a half-hearted smirk. "I never felt **completely **affected by them. Sirius had said that it wasn't as bad for him because he knew he was innocent, well, I wasn't entirely innocent-" Hermione quickly forged on when she saw Ginny about to argue her, "-but, in terms of will, I was innocent, so that was a big help. On top of that, I knew that you and the others loved me. Though," Hermione started before she could stop herself. A look from Ginny encouraged her to go on. "Well, I told you about the spells the guards had me under at various points. I know they were just messing with me, but I couldn't help but wonder if maybe they would turn out to be true."

"Hermione," Ginny said such a stern voice that it nearly startled the older girl. "I'm going to chalk up your lack of logic and reason to the Dementors and whatever else might have been messing with your mind and well-being while you were in Laurophey, but I will repeat myself: I never at **any **point thought about leaving you. Even if you ended up staying in Laurophey for five years, I still would've been here for you, waiting for you. And I also never thought for even a second that you were guilty. And for the record, I consider you entirely innocent."

"I performed the spells, Gin," Hermione stated quietly.

"Under the Imperius Curse," Ginny exclaimed in an exaggerated manner. "You had no choice in the matter!"

"Still," Hermione insisted, though she knew Ginny had a point.

"'Still' nothing," Ginny retorted. "You're innocent. And let me guess, Ms. Blake put memory charms or something on you so you wouldn't recall any of it?"

Hermione had to chuckle. "Yes, that's exactly it. After Ms. Blake was convicted they had someone restore my memories - took a while, but they're all back supposedly. Oh, and that's why Crookshanks was so mad the past few months - he knew. By the way, thank you for getting Crookshanks. I was worried about him, too."

"Of course," Ginny nodded. "But see - point made. Imperius Curse doubled with Memory Charms? How can you blame yourself for that?"

"I know you're right, Gin," Hermione replied tiredly. "But, it's just not that easy to get over."

Ginny exhaled audibly as she continued to eye Hermione. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to say 'get over it' - I just don't want you to blame yourself for something that you had absolutely no control over. I'm sorry I never noticed that anything was up."

"You told me to see a mediwizard," Hermione said. "One might've been able to detect the memory charms at least - a really thorough, good one anyhow. Also, you told me that Ms. Blake couldn't be trusted, so maybe if I had listened to you, I could've avoided this. "

"Well then it's my fault - I should've pushed you harder."

"Oh Gin, let's not blame anyone," Hermione pleaded.

"Sounds like a very good plan," Ginny concurred. A moment passed as she asked, "So...what else happened?"

"Well," Hermione sighed once more, "since I didn't consistently have Dementors on my level, I had guards instead, as I mentioned. And from the stories, you might've guessed that they were," she smirked ruefully, "less than polite."

The younger girl looked tentative, but eventually asked, "What else did they say? Do?"

Hermione shook her head as she closed her eyes. "They didn't **do** anything, really. They were a bit rough with me," Hermione squeezed Ginny's hand reassuringly as she felt the redhead's temper starting to flare, "a few cuts and bruises, but nothing life threatening."

"I didn't see anything on you when you took a bath yesterday," Ginny remarked. "Not that I don't believe you, I do, I-"

"They healed me before they released me," Hermione explained. She wished they had left her, then she'd have at least temporary evidence of how cruel they were to their prisoners.

She wondered what else she should tell Ginny. She honestly didn't want to go into detail. She was trying to convince herself that it was for Ginny's benefit, but she knew deep down it was more for her own.

"Mione?"

Hermione's eyes snapped towards Ginny in question as she was pulled from her thoughts. "Oh, sorry."

"What were you thinking about?" Ginny asked in worry.

Hermione shook her head, though she knew her girlfriend would never let it slide.

"What was it, Mione?" Ginny gently probed.

"I was just...I don't know...remembering, I suppose."

"Tell me..."

Hermione looked to Ginny. Though she didn't want to rehash some of these memories, the love and concern in Ginny's eyes assured Hermione that if she were to share these thoughts with anyone, it should be her.

"Well, there was one guard in particular who was so absolutely vile. I hate him," Hermione nearly snarled, shocking herself with how vehement she was. She was even more surprised by how calm Ginny looked. Though, upon closer inspection, Hermione realized that Ginny's calm was a tightly controlled, forced calm.

Ginny nodded slowly, prompting the brunette to continue.

"All of them were mean and terrible, but this one, he was the worst. He always taunted me, teased me, treated me like filth," the older girl explained as her voice grew tight as she struggled to restrain her emotions. "He kicked my tray of food across the room sometimes. He made comments, crude comments, about me-" Now Ginny bristled. "-And he..." Hermione trailed off as she averted her gaze.

"He what?" Ginny asked breathlessly, her hand gripping Hermione's almost painfully tight.

"No, he didn't go that far," Hermione assured her, thanking the stars once more for that small blessing. "But, he did use the Cruciatus Curse on me."

"No," Ginny seethed.

"It wasn't for very long," Hermione said slowly, as her mind was distracted by the horrific memory of the pain rippling through her body as the guard looked down upon her, laughing as though it was a game.

"Mione, he can't do that," Ginny proclaimed, her voice shaking with anger. "We could have him fired and locked away for that."

Hermione gave an empty smile, knowing that it'd be near impossible to pull off such a feat. At a later point she might revisit the thought, but right now she just wanted to leave it behind.

"So," Ginny went on, and she visibly struggled to restrain her anger. "What did you get the cuts and bruises from?"

Hermione rested her head in her free hand as she propped it up on the table using her elbow. "Just being handled roughly. Being thrown into the cell..."

Ginny was silent for a few moments and Hermione slowly looked over at her. The redhead was staring hard into the distance. Before Hermione had a chance to question her, she spoke.

"You have no idea how much I want to go there and kill them myself," Ginny said in a strained voice.

"Gin, please don't think that way. I hate them too, believe me, but I'm just thankful to be out of there. And I need you here; I don't need you locked away, too."

"You shouldn't have had to deal with that treatment. It's not fair, it's not right. That bitch, Ms. Blake. I should've given **her **a few doses of Cruciatus before letting them take her away."

"Gin," Hermione warned softly as goosebumps rose involuntarily on her skin at the recollection of her own experiences.

"I'm sorry," the redhead said in a surprisingly frail voice as her shoulders slumped. "I know you shouldn't be comforting me right now, it should be the other way around. You just don't know how helpless I felt. I wanted to go to Paris immediately and just, I don't know, break you out of there and whisk you off to safety, but I couldn't. I had to wait, knowing that horrible things like that could happen to you while we sat around and twiddled our thumbs."

"You can't blame yourself," Hermione asserted. "You guys got me out of there in three weeks - that's beyond impressive. I was anticipating five years, so to get out in three weeks was a miracle." Ginny remained staring hard at nothing in particular, her jaw clenched. Hermione leaned over and kissed Ginny softly on the cheek. When she pulled back, Ginny's eyes were closed and if she wasn't mistaken, she saw Ginny's bottom lip tremble.

"I love you, Gin," Hermione said quietly as she stroked the back of Ginny's hand. "And I know you love me, too. You have no idea how much that did for me while I was in there. It made all the difference for me."

"I love you more than anything." The younger girl spoke with such sincerity that it made Hermione's heart melt further if it was even possible. "Thank you for telling me these things. I know that took a lot - you're so strong," Ginny said tenderly. "I know I'm being a big baby right now, I'll pull it together in a moment," she laughed weakly.

"You're not a baby, Gin," Hermione laughed softly as she ran a hand fleetingly along Ginny's arm. "Goodness."

Ginny let out a tired sigh before facing Hermione and offering her a small smile. "So, when do you want to see Dumbledore? He says he has good news for you."

For once in Hermione's life, she didn't feel that irresistible compulsion to get things done. Instead, she wanted to just kind of hide away, a little like what her parents had encouraged. However, she knew that that approach would do nothing.

"Tomorrow, perhaps."

"Are you sure? That's awfully quick, you can stay here for a bit," Ginny offered.

"You just don't want to go back to school," Hermione teased. "I am sorry about that, too. You've missed a lot of classes and you have to do your N.E.W.T.s this year. I promise I'll help you study though. Especially since I probably won't have much to do over the next few weeks, what with no work."

"N.E.W.T.s, that's one thing I didn't have to think about tonight," Ginny complained with an arched eyebrow. "But no, I was more concerned about your well-being, amazingly."

"I know," Hermione relented. "I was just teasing."

"I know, Love, I was just playing along," Ginny retorted in an exaggerated manner.

"I know," Hermione replied in the same way before letting a small smirk play across her lips. "Eat your salad."

**AN**: Hi all! One chapter closer to the end - nearly there! Hope everyone enjoys the dose of Hermione/Ginny time. Take care!


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

_**Hermione POV**_

"We don't have to go, you know."

Hermione turned to Ginny with a withering stare. "I need to get out of the house. I need to start moving forward."

"Don't you think it's a little bit fast?" Ginny asked while giving the brunette a sceptical look.

"No," Hermione said decidedly before relenting. "Though, I did tell my parents I'd wait a few days - I just can't though. I need to at least know where I stand after this whole thing. I don't know anything right now and it's driving me mad."

"Okay," Ginny sighed as she held out her hand. "Let me know if you want to go home at any point though," she stressed.

Hermione cracked a slight grin. "I will." She cast her eyes upon Ginny's worried ones and took the girl's hand, ensuring to give it a small squeeze before apparating to Hogsmeade.

As they stood on High Street, Hermione looked out absently into the distance. Just being back here felt strange, yet it offered a sense of comfort in its familiarity. Also, the association of this place and Hogwarts with a time before the Ministry, before Ms. Blake, made Hermione long to be here. In fact, as they entered the halls of Hogwarts a short while later, Hermione realized that she had never felt safer inside these walls.

"It's good to be back," she exhaled as she tugged gently on Ginny's hand to pull them to a stop in the quiet corridor.

With a curious look that turned tender a moment later, Ginny reached out and grabbed Hermione's other hand to hold them both. "Maybe you could teach here?" The younger girl suggested. "Merlin knows you're more than proficient in nearly all subjects taught."

Hermione pondered the thought for a second. While it seemed like a logical suggestion, in fact, very logical - it just didn't sit right with her. She knew she could teach rather well, as essentially proven by the amount of time she had spent tutoring others while she was a student here, but it just wasn't her passion. Yes, she loved to learn, and yes, she realized the incredible value of professors and how they could change lives, but it just didn't feel like enough for her. Working with the Ministry, creating national, potentially world-wide changes, **that** had been what she wanted to do, **that **was where her passion lay, but now it was ruined. Everything that was so perfect was a lie, a setup, and now she didn't know what she could do. But, she guessed that was what Dumbledore wanted to speak to her about.

"Maybe," she finally said to Ginny as she offered her girlfriend a courageous smile that felt feeble and probably looked more-so. "I guess we should go find Professor McGonagall - I don't know Dumbledore's password anymore."

Ginny gave a nod of her head and soon they were headed deep into the castle.

* * *

"Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled up at the Headmaster as he smiled brightly back at her. His welcoming was much more subdued than the one she had received when she entered Professor McGonagall's office just a few minutes ago before the three of them headed to Dumbledore's office. Though Professor McGonagall had tried to appear professional and perhaps even a bit aloof, that front was quickly abandoned and Hermione soon found herself being scooped into a hug with the transfiguration professor - albeit a short hug that was swiftly dismissed, but a hug nevertheless.

"Hello, Professor," Hermione greeted with a nod of recognition - a gesture he readily returned.

"It's very good to see you again," Dumbledore went on. "How are you doing? If I may inquire."

"Certainly." She smiled quietly. "I'm doing well, thank you - all things considered. I wanted to thank you for all that you did to help me." She resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow in question as Dumbledore and Ginny exchanged a fleeting glance that resulted in Ginny shifting her gaze away.

"I believe that certain others were of much greater help," he replied modestly. "I am very happy to see that you are well, though. And I am very pleased to be able to report good news to you." Hermione nodded her head, urging him to go on.

"Please, have a seat," Dumbledore offered as he held an arm out to the large chairs in front of his desk. Though Hermione didn't want to sit down, as her mind instantly flashed back to her initial 'meeting' with Mr. Noirent, she did so. Only a glance was required to see that Ginny was struggling with the same level of reluctance, but too gave in. Hermione was still watching Ginny rather intently when Dumbledore began speaking once more.

"I understand that it's far too soon to consider this offer, but the Minister has been very clear with me about the fact that he is deeply sorry about everything that has happened and he is eager to tell you this himself if you feel up to speaking with him. I would encourage you to do so because he would like to offer you a rather prestigious position within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement-"

Dumbledore must've sensed her immediate outrage that was just begging to be released, because he stilled and a moment later offered her a snack in a light voice.

"No, thank you, sir," Hermione replied stiffly despite her efforts to reel in her displeasure. She didn't see how this offer was good news at all. It sounded like a nightmare already. Dumbledore merely shrugged and offered Ginny a snack as well.

"Forgive me, Professor," Ginny started as she sent a tentative glance Hermione's way, "but how could this be a good thing?"

The brunette felt warmth radiating in her chest as Ginny spoke her mind, as well as Hermione's, even if unknowingly.

"As I said, it is too early to consider such an offer," Dumbledore replied patiently, "but Ms. Blake is no longer in the picture. While I fully understand if Miss Granger wishes never to work with the Ministry in any capacity ever again, perhaps something good has come from this - beyond Ms. Blake finally being given her just desserts." Both girls looked on at Dumbledore with newfound curiosity and he elaborated. "You see, Brumski's situation was a glaring example of how Britain's house-elf rules are impeding rights and justice. Seeing what could've been avoided if Brumski had the freedom to approach the Ministry as he had wanted to in the first place put the Minister, along with the majority of the Wizengamot, in favour of starting a liberation for the house-elves."

Though Hermione was far from comfortable - the idea caused some part of her deep in the pit of her stomach to stir with excitement. Nevertheless, this positivity was greatly overshadowed by doubt. She couldn't believe the notion just yet - even if it came from Dumbledore.

"I can understand that you're sceptical," Dumbledore commented, "and you have every right to be, but you can see the logic in their thinking." The brunette and Ginny shared a brief glance - both remembering Hermione's outburst with this exact logic at the tent after first visiting Brumski.

"You have more than proven yourself to the Minister and to others of great authority there, as such, they would like for you to head up this project. And to give you more authority, they want you to work under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, rather than Magical Creatures. Mr. Thicknesse has been reinstated as Department Head, thus he would be your supervisor, and I trust you would be in good hands."

Hermione unknowingly began to fidget in her chair as discomfort over the whole situation settled in even further. It sounded all well and good in some sense, but she just couldn't trust it right now.

"When or if you are up to it, please speak with Mr. Scrimgeour - he's eager to meet with you." A beat passed and Dumbledore carried on in a cheerful voice, "If you choose not to accept the offer, you are always more than welcome to take up a position here at Hogwarts - we'd be very lucky and happy to have you."

Hermione resisted the urge to chuckle, and instead settled with a flat look to Ginny who merely smiled back with a hint of smugness.

"Thank you, professor," Hermione said. "I clearly have a lot to consider. But thank you for letting me know and thank you for your help with everything."

Dumbledore merely shook his head. "Thank you for coming by Miss Granger. Again, I'm very glad that you're okay. Please take care of yourself and don't feel you need to rush into anything. I'm just letting you know that when you're ready, you have options."

"Thank you, sir," the brunette reiterated with newfound warmth and sincerity. "It does help actually. I would like to keep busy, but I don't feel at all ready to commit to the Ministry at this point."

"Minerva," Dumbledore called out lightly as he and the girls shifted their attention to the other professor who had been quietly observing this whole conversation. "You wouldn't happen to need an assistant, would you? Just temporarily, of course."

Hermione felt a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as Professor McGonagall played along. "Why now that you mention it, Albus, I believe I do. N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s are coming up fast. Students," she drew out the word as she eyed Ginny pointedly, "may need a lot of guidance over the next while. I am very confident that Miss Granger would be more than competent in helping them."

A soft laugh escaped Hermione's mouth as both professors eyed her patiently with some level of amusement in their eyes. She turned to Ginny with a half-hearted look of weariness to see that Ginny was nodding eagerly.

"Fine," Hermione relented with a laugh. "I mean - I'd love to help. Thank you, professors."

"Wonderful," Dumbledore said as he clasped his hands together in enthusiasm. "Whenever you feel prepared, just let Minerva know and we will make the proper arrangements - again, please don't feel the need to rush."

"I would prefer to start sooner rather than later, to be completely honest with you," Hermione admitted as she glanced between Dumbledore and McGonagall.  
"Very well, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said. "Perhaps it's for the best - it may mean that Miss Weasley will actually attend class again..."

Hermione struggled to remain serious as she noted Ginny blushing out of the corner of her eye.

"I had a good excuse," the redhead muttered.

"I realize that," Professor McGonagall said with underlying compassion in her voice, "unfortunately, 'good excuses' won't get you your N.E.W.T.s."

Ginny's shoulders rounded just slightly. "I'll study. How can I not when Hermione will be hanging around, making sure I'm done my homework a week ahead of time?" The redhead's voice was playful and affectionate, and held at bay any offense that Hermione might've taken otherwise.

"It's settled then," Dumbledore announced. "Minerva, please show Hermione - and Miss Weasley," he added, "to Miss Granger's new quarters. Feel free to move in whenever you wish."

With a series of nods, the trio left Dumbledore's quarters and headed through the castle.

"How is your shoulder, Miss Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked as she glanced towards the redhead while they were waiting for a set of stairs to shift.

"Oh," Ginny blushed as her eyes worriedly flicked towards Hermione who was now studying her with furrowed brows. "It's fine. Nothing to worry about," she smiled.

"Good to hear. You're lucky that's all you walked away with," the professor added on as she eyed Ginny purposefully.

"Yes, Ma'am, I'm aware. Thank you for helping...," she trailed off. Hermione continued to stare unabashedly at Ginny, trying to pry into the younger girl's mind to discover what this 'shoulder' incident was all about. However, the sinking feeling in her stomach told the brunette all she really needed to know.

A short while later, Ginny and Hermione were alone in the brunette's new quarters. Professor McGonagall had just shut the door a moment prior when Hermione rounded on Ginny and stalked towards her.

"What happened to your shoulder?" She asked sternly as she moved Ginny's jacket aside to examine the girl's shoulder as though that would tell her something.

"Nothing major," Ginny asserted as she shrugged Hermione's hand off of her. "I'm fine, clearly."

"What happened?" Hermione repeated, irritated by Ginny's rebuff and shooting her a displeased look.

The younger girl let out a frustrated sigh and shifted her gaze away in irritation before settling upon Hermione once more with a gentler look. "Ms. Blake got me with a spell. Dislocated my shoulder, but that's it. Madam Pomfrey fixed me up and I was fine in no time."

"Ginny," Hermione said sadly as she eyed the redhead.

"It's no big deal, Mione," Ginny asserted in a chipper manner that Hermione imagined the girl hoped wasn't too transparent.

"No big deal?" Hermione retorted, the sadness in her eyes growing and causing Ginny to automatically avert her gaze. "What if that had been a killing curse! Ginny, you could've died!"

"Come on-"

"No!" Hermione continued. "I mean, I know you said you duelled with her, but just hearing that you were hurt, knowing that it could've been so much worse..." Hermione's mind failed to formulate the words she so desired. She felt emotion begin to creep up furthermore and she had to take a moment to calm herself. She noted Ginny's patience, the girl having remained silent during this, and continued on.

"Ginny, you shouldn't have done that. If you had been killed," Hermione paused as she swallowed her impending upset. She tried again. "I just could never forgive myself," Hermione finished, her voice not nearly as steady as she had been aiming for.

"I couldn't let you rot away in Laurophey," Ginny declared with conviction as she sought eye contact that now Hermione longed to deny. "Five years is a long time."

"Yeah, well a life without you would've been longer," Hermione retorted.

Ginny ignored the brunette's point and instead changed tactics. "And it was about redeeming you and clearing your name. You heard Dumbledore," Ginny said as she gestured outside, "you're practically a hero now. You can have your career back. And Ms. Blake won't be pulling this shit on anyone else. So guess what, I did what I had to do to protect you and to stop that horrible woman."

Hermione shook her head silently before sighing. Hero - far from it. Career - yeah, right. Ms. Blake...there were no words for her. However, in the back of Hermione's mind, she knew she shouldn't reprimand Ginny. Finally, she lifted her eyes to look at Ginny. "I know. You're the hero, not me. And you're amazing for doing what you did. But, God, Ginny...the thought of losing you...I just can't-"

"Stop," Ginny ordered quietly. "I'm fine, I'm here, we're still together - so please don't think about that, okay?" She could see that the older girl was going to protest further, but Ginny shot her an imploring look that caused Hermione to surrender.

"You're right," she concurred. "I'm so lucky to have you."

"Aww, my ego," Ginny teased as she pulled the brunette into a playful hug, which she reciprocated with a bit of fake resistance.

"Well, I hate to admit it, but I think your ego deserves a bit of boosting after the feat you pulled off," Hermione offered with a crooked grin.

"But I'm amazing every day," Ginny responded with mock arrogance and laughed heartily as Hermione swatted her on the arm and gave her a look of admonishment. "Aww, come on, Mione. You know you love me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, I suppose."

* * *

The following evening, Hermione lay in bed, Ginny in her arms as they both stared absently up at the ceiling of Hermione's new room. The living arrangements were quite nice - private room, spacious, and plenty of room for plenty of books. However, for now it was rather dull and plain as she'd hardly moved anything in yet. Her parents had given her a hard time about leaving so quickly, so she decided to make it a bit of a prolonged move.

"You know," Ginny started, her voice a bit hesitant, "that offer that Dumbledore talked about with the Ministry?" Ginny paused, waiting for confirmation from the brunette to go on. After a moment, Hermione granted her permission with a vague nod. "Well," Ginny ventured, "if it is what Dumbledore says it is...it might actually be decent." Hermione was well aware of how quiet Ginny's voice was by the end of her statement, oddly afraid of Hermione's reaction. The older girl sighed heavily.

"I can't, Gin - not after what happened."

"We could look into it though," Ginny offered lightly. "At a later point, anyway. We could do some thorough research to see how legitimate the job opportunity is and see who is involved. I know it sounds crazy that I'm suggesting it, and I'm oddly confused by my own actions, but...it's true...if Brumski had the same rights as the rest of us, none of this would've happened. If the Ministry's sincere in their intentions to change things, this could be a great opportunity."

Hermione scoffed. "I've heard that before." She instantly felt regretful for being snarky with Ginny - Ginny wasn't the one she was upset with, but for some reason her apology got caught in her throat.

"Well, I guess the project will go forward with or without you," Ginny stated with a shrug, "but I think they know that you're the right person to get it done right. And you'd be in London - that's a huge improvement. Dad will be there, Harry, Ron, your parents...it'll be so different."

Hermione refused to acknowledge the thought, though she knew Ginny had a point - at least about the latter.

"At least think about it at some point."

With reluctance, Hermione offered a small nod. Ginny tilted her head up and Hermione could feel her looking fixedly at her. Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Fine - I'll think about it at some point. Not right now though." She cracked the smallest smile as she felt Ginny's warm lips upon her cheek.

"That's more than okay," Ginny said brightly. "I'm quite content to have you here at Hogwarts for the remainder of the year."

A quiet smile formed on Hermione's face. "That sounds very comforting, actually. I'm sure we can get away with you staying in my quarters at least a few times a week." Her smile grew as Ginny rose up on her elbow to smirk down at her.

"When did you become such a rule-breaker?"

The second the words were out of Ginny's mouth, Hermione felt her stomach drop and Ginny's smirk faded away just as instantly, only to be replaced by a look of regret.

"Blimey, I'm so sorry, Mione. I wasn't thinking, I just-"

"No, Gin, it's fine. You should be able to make a joke," Hermione insisted as she struggled against the knot in her stomach. It was just a joke, she shouldn't feel upset over two simple words that no intentional link to her recent experiences in Paris.

"I shouldn't have said that," Ginny stressed.

"It's fine, really," Hermione repeated as she mustered up a smile for the girl. "Don't worry about it."

"I don't want to say anything to upset you."

"I'm not a china doll, I can handle it."

"A what?" Ginny asked as her brows furrowed together.

"Right," Hermione chuckled as she subconsciously gave Ginny a gentle squeeze. "They're a muggle thing. They're very fragile," she explained.

"Oh okay," the younger girl nodded. "Well, still."

"No, it's fine. Let's not make this an issue." Hermione could see that Ginny was about to argue further with her, but it seemed that after a moment's contemplation, Ginny forfeited the debate and lay back down, stretching an arm out across Hermione's torso.

"Anyway," Ginny continued, "I'd love to stay with you 'a few nights a week'."

"Good," Hermione replied with a smile of approval. "And now that I'm back, I can make sure you aren't sneaking off to the Room of Requirement with any members of your fan club."

Hermione bit back a snicker as Ginny propped herself up again to shoot a nasty look her way.

"The only person I ever go to the Room of Requirement with is **you**."

"Good. Let's keep it that way," Hermione replied with fake loftiness that earned her a light nudge from her girlfriend. Again, Hermione had to struggle to not laugh. Despite everything, she still enjoyed ribbing Ginny from time to time about her popularity with other girls.

"It amazes me how silly you can be sometimes."

Hermione smirked. "Only for you."

**AN**: A bit of unfinished business left to resolve. Nearly there ;) Thank you for all your support!


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

_**Hermione POV**_

"Thank you, Miss Granger."

"You're very welcome, Jonathan."

Hermione smiled at the fifth year transfiguration student before he bid her a nod farewell and departed from the classroom. O.W.L.s, as well as N.E.W.T.s, were fast approaching and as such, Hermione had no shortage of students coming to her for help and advice during their preparations for their exams. While Hermione enjoyed helping the students, and she was admittedly rather adept at it, one thing had certainly been cemented during this time - she did not want to become a professor. While the job was fulfilling to a degree, that part of Hermione that had tugged at her in all her years prior, the part that urged her to go to the Ministry and to go to France, was still present and was still nagging her despite her best efforts to ignore it.

By this point, several people had talked to her about taking up the Minister's offer and going to work in London, but she had refused all their bouts of encouragement. She had relented to some degree and at least gone to speak with the Minister about it. Though she did leave his office with the stirrings of anticipation and eagerness, she remained more-so unconvinced. She knew that the project was now underway - without her - and Mr. Weasley, and oddly enough, Percy, had kept her in the loop about how things had been developing. She had to admit that their updates did ease her mind and each day it seemed a bit harder to stay uninvolved. Yet, for some reason she just couldn't bring herself to go to the Ministry to speak with Mr. Scrimgeour once more. Whether it was a matter of pride, fear, loyalty to Dumbledore and Hogwarts, or some combination of factors, she still didn't know.

The brunette casually glanced over at the clock that hung on the wall and sighed - best to go get some dinner while it was still available. With any luck, she'd run into Ginny and Luna. Standing, Hermione gathered up her things and headed for the Great Hall.

Upon entering the Great Hall, she saw Ginny and Luna huddled together at a table with numerous other students, though most of the students had vacated the hall. Ginny quickly caught Hermione's gaze and offered a quick wave before gesturing next to her on the bench. There was no room next to Ginny, in fact the only free seat would be several people over and though Hermione knew the redhead would make room for her, for some reason Hermione suddenly felt more inclined to eat quietly at the staff table. Offering Ginny a wave of thanks before gesturing to the front of the hall, Hermione moved on and pushed the disappointed look on Ginny's face to the back of her mind.

"Good evenin', Hermione."

The brunette smiled at Hagrid as she took up a seat next to him, feeling small as ever as she settled in next to the half-giant.

"Good evening, Hagrid. How are you?"

"Oh, doin' well. The students were good today and Fang's feeling better," he answered cheerfully with a nod. "How are you? How are the students coming along?"

"I'm fine, thank you," she smiled politely. "And they're doing well for the most part. Some have made significant progress and I'm very proud. Overall, I think they'll be okay."

"Good to hear," he nearly exclaimed as he reached across with his goblet of pumpkin juice and clanged it against hers, causing nearly a third of the beverage to spill out onto the table. "Oh, sorry, there."

"It's fine," Hermione said quietly as she calmly dabbed the spill away with her napkin.

"Well," he continued, "those kids will be sure to do great in their exams with your help. No doubt you're an excellent teacher and you're not even a fully-fledged professor yet," he chuckled.

She forced herself to smile up at him and offer a laugh of her own. She knew she should be flattered, and she was on some level, but she just wasn't...happy. While being able to see Ginny every day had expedited Hermione's...recovery, she felt as though she had hit a plateau, and being stuck on this plane left her feeling unsatisfied.

As her conversation with Hagrid slowly came to an end, she shifted her gaze down the table to see if Dumbledore was still here - she had to drop off some documents with him and now was as good a time as any. Her lips pulled into an unimpressed line as she saw his chair was empty. An inaudible sigh escaped her mouth as she began to pick at her food once more.

"Hey."

Hermione looked up from her plate to be greeted with the pleasant sight of Ginny standing before her and offering a soft smile. The brunette returned her girlfriend's smile before turning her attention to Luna who was standing quietly behind Ginny and offered the blonde a small greeting as well.

"We're going to play some wizard's chess in Ravenclaw Tower, wanna come?" Ginny asked brightly.

"I have to stop by Dumbledore's quarters after dinner to drop off some paperwork, but maybe after," Hermione replied a little slowly - the idea of hanging out with the group and playing chess wasn't overly appealing right now. She knew she should at least attempt to be social, but she just didn't really feel up to it.

"Yeah, for sure, stop by after. I'll even go easy on you," Ginny said with a wink.

"Yeah, I'll see. I still have a lot of marking to do," Hermione said as her gaze dropped to her plate and she absently pushed the remaining food around with her fork.

"Aw, Mione-"

"I think perhaps Hermione has a lot on her mind right now. She might prefer to be alone with those thoughts," Luna chimed in, her airy manner present as ever. Hermione laughed inwardly - leave it to Luna to cut right to the chase.

Ginny looked back at Luna with a frown before shifting towards the brunette. "Oh," she said quietly. "Sorry...I should've noticed."

"No, Gin, it's fine, really," Hermione stressed, albeit a bit quietly as she didn't want to attract attention to them. "I'm just in a mood. Maybe you can stay with me tonight?"

"Of course," Ginny replied with an eager nod. "Do you want me to come with you to Dumbledore's?" She quickly offered, the action spurring a twinge of warmth to form in Hermione's chest much as it always did whenever Ginny did something that so blatantly showed her care and concern for the brunette. With a smile and a gentle shake of her head, Hermione turned down the offer.

"Come on, Ginny," Luna spoke up lightly as she pulled a reluctant Ginny away from the table and toward the double-doors. Both girls looked back, and Hermione had to laugh at their contrasting looks. Ginny looked rather offended by Luna's herding, while the blonde merely glanced back to Hermione with a friendly smile.

With a quiet sigh, one slightly more content this time, Hermione set down her fork and turned to Hagrid to wish him a good night before exiting the hall.

* * *

"Professor? Are you here?" Hermione called out as she tentatively entered his quarters. It didn't take much for her to see that his office was currently vacant. Quietly, Hermione padded over to his desk and set the paperwork down in a tidy pile. As she was turning to leave, something caught her eye. Not anything new and shiny, rather something old and tattered - the sorting hat. After an instinctual glance around the room, she laid her eyes on the sorting hat once more and studied it from afar before walking over. She stared at it a bit longer before deciding to reach out. Turning the hat over in her hand a couple of times, she eventually swallowed the feeling of foolishness that was swelling inside of her and set the hat on her head. A surprised gasp escaped her mouth as she felt the hat jolt to life upon contact and it laughed amusedly.

"Well, well! Miss Granger! Aren't you a bit **old** to be sorted? I gave you your house years ago," it proclaimed loudly with a bit of a drawl.

Hermione bit back the retort she wanted to shoot the snarky hat's way and instead responded, "Yes, but...things change."

"And you want answers, I assume?" The hat remarked with that same earlier amusement. "Ah yes, that's right, I strongly considered putting you in Ravenclaw for reasons such as that."

"Yes," she recalled with a knowing nod. "Perhaps I never deserved to be in Gryffindor," she suggested meekly. Though she knew how she felt deep down, she still feared the hat's response. Before it could answer her, she quickly added, "Nor did I deserve to be in Ravenclaw. If you knew what I've been through recently, than you'd know I'm not half as bright as everyone said." She frowned as she heard the hat grunt in disapproval.

"I stand by my original decision. You are a Gryffindor," he asserted.

Hermione pursed her lips together as she stood for a moment in stillness, contemplating the hat's affirmation. "I don't feel brave," she finally said.

"Perhaps," the hat conceded and Hermione felt her heart still. "But, I can't choose something else for you. Even if you say you don't feel brave and even though I can clearly detect a high level of intellect and cleverness, it cannot override the fact that to your core, you are a Gryffindor. Some part of you will not let me read you as anything else."

"Harry said he chose to be in Gryffindor over Slytherin," Hermione commented absently as she studied the far wall without actually focusing her eyes.

"Ah yes, Mr. Potter. He did not want to be in Slytherin, he chose to be brave rather than ambitious. And you choose to be valued as brave rather than clever, and yes, ambitious too."

Hermione's mind wandered until she was shook from her thoughts by the hat speaking once more.

"I can sense your reluctance to be in Gryffindor. But it is different than Mr. Potter's reluctance to be in Slytherin."

Hermione pondered this statement as well and realized that Harry's reluctance was out of fear and disdain, hers was merely a matter of value and worth - self-doubt to be exact.

"Ginny's a true Gryffindor," she remarked.

The hat let out a riotous laugh. "Miss Weasley, I remember her. All the Weasleys were Gryffindor - even that brother of hers...Ronald, I believe. Ginny Weasley," he stated once more as he seemed to mull over her name. "She's a true Gryffindor, indeed. Exceedingly brave, in fact, recklessly brave."

A smirk formed on Hermione's face as her thoughts drifted to the redhead in question. "Yes, I believe that is quite accurate."

"Yes, well, I don't know what more I can offer, Miss Granger. I sorted you into Gryffindor when you first arrived, and I stand by my decision - you are still a Gryffindor. And, I will have you know that I am never wrong," he stated quite loftily.

The smirk that lingered from thoughts of Ginny transformed into a full smile as his words and the realization settled in.

"Thank you for lending me your talents once more," Hermione said.

"You're welcome," the hat replied in a bit of a bored tone. "Merlin knows I don't get enough use throughout the year, so I suppose this interruption was tolerable. Don't doubt my decision again. And if you do doubt it, that simply means that I was proven right because you most certainly wouldn't be a Ravenclaw because any smart student would know that I'm correct."

"Of course," Hermione chuckled good-naturedly. "Thank you."

With that, she gently removed the hat and held it in front of her for a moment to examine it, though it was now inactive. Eventually she set it back down in its original spot. As she left Dumbledore's quarters, the smile that had formed on her face did not waver and instead it grew.

* * *

_**Ginny POV**_

"Miss Weasley, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Ginny smiled warmly at the woman who stood before her with a hand extended in greeting. The seventh year reached out and offered the woman, Wynda Kail, a firm handshake and reciprocated the greeting.

"Pleasure's all mine - I assure you. I'm so glad you were able to make it out for the game."

"Well, I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who wants to speak with you today," Wynda said with a sly smile as she glance over Ginny's shoulder at a group of other scouts. Some were speaking with other players, but some were just standing around - Ginny didn't want to assume that they were waiting to speak with her, but according to Wynda, that could very well be the case. "And I can see why you're in high demand. In fact, the team's had their eye on you for a few years now."

Ginny could feel her eyes light up as the captain of the Holyhead Harpies relayed this absolutely fantastic information to her. She beamed at Wynda and the auburn-haired girl let out a small chuckle. "I'll take your enthusiasm as a good sign," she winked.

"Please do," Ginny laughed.

"Well, I won't take up too much of your time, but I truly hope you consider taking the spot on the Harpies. We'd be very pleased and proud to call you one of our own. I'll leave this with you," she announced as a set of papers appeared in her hands, which she consequently passed over into Ginny's waiting hands. Ginny gripped the papers tightly in her hands as if someone was about to come and steal them away. She had been dreaming of this opportunity for years and now it had finally come to fruition.

"Camp starts first thing in July, so you wouldn't get much time off between school and training, but don't worry, we work hard, but we play hard too," Wynda said with a wink. "We'd like to have our team roster finalized by the end of the month so that we can get everything organized and get the living arrangements put together, so if you do intend to accept, please make sure we receive your signed contract no later than May 31."

"Not a problem," Ginny said as she and Wynda shook hands once more. "Thank you again so much for this opportunity; it's a great honour - really."

"If you **really** want to thank us, sign your name on the dotted line and get flying," the older woman joked. "Anyway, I suppose I should give the others a chance to at least speak with you. I hope you keep this offer at the top of your list though."

"I probably shouldn't say anything - I think I heard somewhere that you should negotiate pretty ruthlessly when it comes to contracts - but I don't think you have much to worry about. It's always been my dream to play with the Harpies," Ginny gushed against her better judgment.

"Can't say I'm unhappy to hear that," Wynda laughed. "Alright, well, enjoy the rest of your day, Ginny. Good luck on your N.E.W.T.s come exam time."

"Thank you. Have a great day."

Ginny watched star-struck as Wynda walked away and down the hall, not even stopping to speak to any of the other players - much to Ginny's amazement. She was still in a bit of a daze when someone from the Tornadoes approached her. In fact, Ginny was astounded when six scouts approached her, and all with very tempting, convincing offers. Well, they would have been tempting and convincing had Ginny not decided years prior that she was going to be a Harpies girl.

The young quidditch player checked her watch as the crowd thinned out and the scouts left. Hermione was currently meeting with Mr. Scrimgeour in Dumbledore's office. Apparently, Hermione had some sort of epiphany while speaking with the sorting hat, of all things, and had decided that she needed to go back to the Ministry. Though the house-elf project she was approached about a couple of months back was now underway, apparently Mr. Scrimgeour was willing to still speak with her about it. Somehow, Dumbledore had convinced Mr. Scrimgeour to come to Hogwarts for this meeting, supposedly under the promise of an 'exhilarating' quidditch match.

Ginny had known for a while now that Hermione wasn't entirely happy here at Hogwarts. But, at times, she did just kind of get used to the girl's demeanour, such as when Luna had to so bluntly remind her in the Great Hall a couple of weeks back. Regardless, she was very happy to hear that Hermione was willing to go back to the work that she was truly passionate about. Ginny had been quietly coaxing the brunette in that direction, but knew Hermione was the one who had to take the last steps. Sure, Ginny was nervous about it too. This was Hermione, after all, and Ginny was, well, Ginny. She was more than protective of Hermione and the last thing she wanted was for Hermione to be put in danger, but Ginny had done her own research and trusting her father, Harry's, Ron's and her own judgment on the matter, she deemed it a safe and good opportunity. So now, here they were, Hermione had finally resolved what she needed to do and could carry on.

The redhead entered Hermione's quarters and as she had expected, it was empty - she was unconcerned about this, though. She settled herself at the desk in the corner of the room and began to read through the Harpies contract. Her jaw nearly fell when she saw the figures that made up her annual salary. Excitement bubbled up in Ginny at not only the thought of playing with the team she'd desperately wanted to play for, but also at the money. She thanked Merlin that she had passion for something that could be so lucrative.

Sure enough, training would start in July and Ginny would have to move to Holyhead. It looked as though she'd be living in a dorm-setup again with her fellow teammates, but that seemed fine to her. Actually, the thought of rooming with these athletes she'd admired for so long was just mind boggling. She'd have time off every now and then to come home, and during the off-season she could live in London, but for the most part she anticipated she'd be rather busy. If Hermione was able to secure a position with the Ministry again, Ginny imagined the brunette would go back to being nearly as busy as she was in Paris - so perhaps it'd work out best if they were both busy at the same times. There was no doubt in Ginny's mind though that they'd make time to see each other, especially after this whole nightmare with Ms. Blake.

Ginny was jerked out of contemplation as she heard the door swing open - she spun in her chair and saw Hermione standing in the doorway, hand still on the doorknob, but the girl was smiling broadly.

"I got it, Gin! I'm back in!" Hermione exclaimed in excitement as she held up a set of papers of her own for Ginny to see. With a grin, Ginny got out of her chair and started to walk towards Hermione, arms open, only to have Hermione rush into them and nearly bowl both of them over. Ginny laughed warmly as Hermione tucked her head into the crook of Ginny's neck.

"Congratulations, Mione! That's excellent news! Are they letting you join the house-elf initiative?"

"Yes," Hermione breathed in an exhilarated sigh. "Just as I was originally offered. Mr. Scrimgeour said the project is still so new that they can still re-arrange and fit me in. I'll be starting next week though, and I apologized to Dumbledore for that. I told him I could come in the evenings or weekends to help still, but he refused. I don't think he was upset though."

"No way," Ginny insisted. "Dumbledore wanted you to take the job from the start. He kept you on here because you said you wanted to keep busy - on top of the fact that you are a very capable teacher." Hermione merely rolled her eyes in dismissal, before continuing on.

"And since I'll have increased authority with this position, and violations of wizarding law - international violations included - will be within my realm, I think I'd like to put in a few words about some of the charming guards at Laurophey," the older girl relayed as her body settled into a prideful stance.

Reaching forward with her hand to affectionately cup the brunette's chin, Ginny smiled. "That's my girl."

Hermione rolled her eyes but gave a quiet smile that Ginny found simply endearing.

"Anyway, enough about me," Hermione said. "How'd it go for you? You played excellently today."

"Thanks," Ginny smirked. "Well, the Harpies want me," she announced happily and was abruptly pulled into another enthusiastic hug.

"Oh, Ginny, that's incredible! I'm so proud of you!" Hermione beamed proudly as her hands upon Ginny's arms as she pulled out of the hug.

"Seems like it's been a pretty good day," Ginny laughed.

"I know," Hermione said in a bit of a flat voice while giving Ginny a wary look. "I'm a bit nervous - seems like it's all too good to be true."

"I get what you mean," the redhead relented somewhat before continuing, "but we shouldn't think like that. We've been through Hell this past year - we deserve some good luck."

Ginny stared fondly at Hermione as the brunette smiled gently up at her. There was a moment of silence before Hermione suddenly leaned forward and kissed Ginny deeply for a prolonged second.

"What was that for?" Ginny surprised herself with how she had to actually struggle to find the breath to say those words. Hermione just smiled back innocently.

"No reason."

"Right," Ginny replied doubtfully. She continued to eye Hermione sceptically, but the brunette didn't crack. Eventually, Ginny shifted topics. "So, you know this means I'll be moving to Holyhead."

"I know," Hermione replied with a nod, her voice had a hint of sadness though she smiled through it. "At least you'll be nearby. We can floo to one another. Maybe apparate in certain cases. And if you're in desperate need, you can fly to see me," Hermione finished her explanation a bit stiffly at the mention of flying and Ginny bit back a chuckle.

"You mean you won't fly to see me?" The younger girl asked in as innocent a voice as she could muster.

"You know I won't," Hermione retorted sternly, perhaps even a bit contemptuously. "However, if I ever get my hands on an enchanted car, perhaps I could in some sense," she added on with a bit more calm.

"I'm just kidding, you know," Ginny smirked as she gave Hermione a playful nudge.

"I'm not sure how much time we'll have to visit one another anyway," Hermione carried on seriously. She went on to echo Ginny's sentiments on how their schedules would be restricting. At the end of it, the brunette offered Ginny a teasing grin. "I find it interesting that you're joining the all-female team and will be housing with them for a better part of the year."

"Hey, it's not much different than here," Ginny said in defense.

"Mm," Hermione voiced as she crossed her arms, her smirk remaining. "You'll be of legal age - lots of parties, lots of girls..."

"And I'll be sitting quietly in my room reading the Daily Prophet," Ginny replied in an easy tone. Hermione burst into laughter.

"I'm positive," she remarked dryly, prompting Ginny to shoot her a withering look with underlying tenderness.

"Come on. You know you're the only one for me," Ginny stated as she ignored the blush that was creeping up onto her cheeks. "Besides," she carried on with a pointed look as she, too, folded her arms, "I don't mix business with pleasure."

Hermione smiled affectionately at her and said, "I know, Love. I'm just teasing you." The redhead cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah? Well don't you go off and fall in love with some brilliant Ministry employee who shares your soft spot for house-elves."

"Gin, don't be absurd," Hermione retorted. The look on the older girl's face really did express that she thought the notion was ridiculous. "I'm going to miss you so much – all over again. We just got back together," she continued in quiet regret as her gaze dipped just as her tone did.

"I know...," Ginny concurred and mostly at a loss for words; she was too distracted by the sinking feeling in her stomach about being separated from the older girl once more.

"But," Hermione piped up, her tone much brighter as her eyes lifted to meet Ginny's once more, "it's more than worth it. No matter where I imagine myself going over the years, I know that in the end it's you and me."

"I won't play quidditch forever," Ginny stated tenderly and with absolutely no remorse – a feeling she never could've imagined years before about the thought of her quidditch years coming to an end. "We'll be together," she affirmed before leaning in to kiss the brunette's cheek. When Ginny pulled back, she couldn't help but smile at the warmth in her girlfriend's eyes.

"So," Hermione started with a bit of a sigh, "when off-season hits, are you just going to stay at the Burrow?"

"Yes," Ginny replied nonchalantly. "Unless if other arrangements present themselves..."

A quiet grin formed across Hermione's lips. "I'm sure something can be arranged."

**AN**: Not a huge amount of fluff - sorry to disappoint ;) One more chapter to go!


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

_**Ginny POV**_

_One year later..._

"Thanks for taking the time to come visit my parents with me," Ginny commented as she and Hermione walked along through the field behind the Burrow at the beginnings of dusk. Ginny had just wrapped up a gruelling first season and as such, had earned some well-deserved time off. She had been living with Hermione in London for the past week, but had requested that the older girl accompany her to the Burrow this evening. They would be going home to their flat later tonight, but only after they went on the walk that Ginny insisted that they go on.

"Of course," Hermione replied with a bit of a laugh. "Why wouldn't I come?"

"I don't know," Ginny said in a bit of a mumble. She normally would've come up with a bit of a wittier response, but her mind was a bit preoccupied right now. She smiled quietly as she felt Hermione take her hand.

"Well, you should know that I love your family. I get to see your father at work relatively frequently, but I don't necessarily get a chance to come out here to see your mom so often."

Ginny's heart swelled at the thought of her girlfriend not only making an effort to spend time with her parents, but the fact that she **wanted** to spend time with them. It was really too good to be true.

"That's really kind of you, Hermione," Ginny asserted. "We're really lucky to have you around." She ignored Hermione's mild look of admonishment with a smirk.

After Ginny was happy with their location, she had laid out a blanket for them in the grass and they sat down to absently watch the sunset while chatting away. The weather was very mild that night; even though it was dark out now it was still warm enough that neither girl needed a jacket. Ginny had started a small enchanted fire before them and it reminded her a bit of when they had spent the night in that tent. Actually, Ginny was remembering a lot this evening.

The night wore on and Ginny nodded inwardly as she suggested that they head home. They stood and Ginny shrunk the blanket and tucked it into her pocket, but let the fire continue to blaze for the time being.

"Remember when you came to the Burrow a few years back and we went for that walk? I carried you over the creek," Ginny laughed affectionately as she recalled Hermione's reaction, the redhead's laughs increasing as Hermione gave her a playful shove. Ceasing her laughter, Ginny carried on. "You pointed out Jupiter to me when we were up on the hill," she said as she gestured to the hill that wasn't so far off now. "I loved you so much it hurt. I love you even more today, but it doesn't hurt anymore."

Hermione gave a bit of an uncertain chuckle, though her hand came up to brush along Ginny's arm. The redhead could imagine that Hermione was puzzled as to why she was bringing up such a sentiment.

"The Burrow is where I really got a chance to know you. I know you were Ron's friend, but I was always secretly happy that we had that time together by ourselves when we shared my room. Even when we didn't know each other very well, it always felt special to me somehow," Ginny went on, undeterred by the way a look of confusion was slowly forming on Hermione's face.

"This is where I fell in love with you," Ginny said as she gestured to the Burrow off in the distance. "And this is where I first told you I loved you, and you, by some miracle from the powers above, told me you loved me, too."

"Ginny-"

The younger girl did her best to ignore the overwhelming tension that had manifested itself in her chest and she let out a quick, steadying sigh. She hurriedly reached into her pocket in a bit of a haze and pulled out the desired object before swiftly dropping to one knee before the brunette she loved so dearly.

"Hermione," Ginny started as she held out the small box and opened it for Hermione to see the ring that lay inside. The redhead was initially panicked not only by the stunned look on Hermione's face, but also by the way she nearly lost her own voice because of how absolutely dry her mouth and throat felt. A moment later, she regained her focus and forged on. "You are the most brilliant, kind, and all-around wonderful person I have ever known. I know we've been through a lot over the past few years, but it has done nothing more than strengthen my feelings for you. I've been in love with you for years and just when I think I can't possibly love you more, you do something that makes me fall even further for you." Swallowing down a bit more of her anxiety, Ginny continued.

"I feel so absolutely lucky to not only call you my lover, but my best friend, as well. And," Ginny took another steadying breath, "if I'm granted even more luck, someday I'll be able to call you my wife. Nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you. You may think that we're too young for this, but you were the one for me when I was 13, you're the one for me today, and I could live to be 100 and I know I'd still feel this way for you. You're everything to me and there isn't a single other person I'd rather spend even a day of my life with. It's always been you, Hermione, and it always will be," Ginny said earnestly as she stared beseechingly at the girl before her. The nervous redhead dropped her gaze for a split second before bringing it back up to Hermione, looking at her intently, yet too afraid to process the brunette's reaction. Ginny tightened her grip on the box and held it out a bit further before finally laying the last bits of her soul bare.

"Hermione Granger," she said, feeling like she had to push all the air out of her lungs to speak Hermione's name, "will you marry me?"

Ginny felt like time had temporarily frozen as she awaited a response. She had no idea how long she actually waited, she just knew it felt like an eternity as she knelt there, hands held out, heart beating so strongly inside her chest that the sound of it seemed nearly deafening. When Ginny's mind began to work again and she actually truly took notice of Hermione's reaction, she immediately saw that Hermione had a trail of tears going down her cheeks. Before Ginny's mind could work past that, the brunette dropped to her knees and urgently wrapped her arms around the younger girl.

"Ginny," Hermione squeaked out as she gripped the redhead ever-tighter and buried her face in the hollow of Ginny's neck.

Ginny, caught off-guard by the action, slowly put her arms around Hermione in a delayed reciprocation of the gesture. Ginny waited patiently for what felt like a long time, but was probably only a few seconds as she felt Hermione crying against her shoulder, but the weight of the ring still in Ginny's hand ebbed on her apprehension.

"Mione," she said softly, feebly almost, and the brunette's crying came to a near-stop, though she didn't remove her head from Ginny's shoulder. "Mione," Ginny repeated, "you didn't give me an answer," she pointed out nearly breathlessly though she forced out a weak chuckle. She let her arms fall away from Hermione as the older girl pulled out of the embrace with a pronounced sniffle to look at her. Ginny's brows furrowed in concern the second she saw Hermione's red, watery eyes.

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly as a wide grin formed on her face and she threw her arms out in emphasis. "Yes, yes, yes, a million times over," she continued with a laugh and Ginny instantly released a heavy sigh of relief that felt like it expelled all of her anxiety.

"Oh, thank goodness," Ginny sighed happily as she finally sat down and threw her head back in conjunction with the action. "Oh sweet Merlin, Mione, you scared me so badly."

"I'm sorry, Gin," Hermione whispered as she knelt forward and cupped Ginny's cheek before planting a slow kiss on the redhead's lips.

When their kiss finally broke, Ginny let out a relieved laugh. She glanced down and realized that she was still holding the ring box. She quickly sat up and reached for Hermione's hand.

"Here, try it on," she said as she plucked the ring out of the box and held it before Hermione's ring finger for a second, needing to ready herself for the moment. She shot a glance up towards Hermione's face and a warm smile crossed her lips as she took in the sight of Hermione staring at her hand and the ring with a large smile of her own. Enjoying this moment a touch longer, Ginny looked back down to the ring and slipped it onto Hermione's finger. They both gazed at the sight in awe for a several seconds as Hermione tilted her hand to examine it from varying angles. With a giggle, the brunette's hand shot forward to grasp Ginny behind the neck and pull her into a heated kiss. Ginny could swear that she could feel the ring band against the back of her neck and just the thought of Hermione wearing it made her bubble over with excitement.

"Hermione," Ginny breathed as she pulled the brunette closer to her and happily soaked up every moment of this occasion.

"God, Ginny, I can't believe this," Hermione said in wonder as she pulled back just a bit, though keeping her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. Ginny's smile broadened as she spotted Hermione's eyes flicking away from her own to gaze at the ring once more.

"Come on," Ginny teased, "Is it **that** shocking? I mean, I've been in love with you forever, you gave us those rings a couple of years ago, and I said I'd get you a new ring, so..." Ginny was tempted to finish her sentence, but was pleasantly interrupted by Hermione diving in for a quick kiss. "I chose well?" Ginny inquired.

"It's gorgeous!" Hermione exclaimed, drawing a laugh out of the redhead. "I don't want to know how much this must've cost you. I'm sure we could've put some of the money towards paying off the flat."

"Oh my dear, sweet Hermione and all your rationality," Ginny smirked as she brought her hand up to cup the side of Hermione's face. "Don't worry, we're far from broke. Our flat will get paid off just fine, and I'm still going to take you on an **amazing** honeymoon."

"Oh, really?" Hermione challenged with a bit of a come-hither stare that drove Ginny just a tad wild.

"Yes, it'll be the best honeymoon you've ever had," Ginny replied with a confident nod and laughed when Hermione gave her a light nudge coupled with that look she always gave when Ginny was being silly.

"Well, here's hoping it's the only one I ever have," Hermione said as she arched her brow, half in warning, half in question.

"Nonsense - I'm taking you on a honeymoon every year," Ginny proclaimed proudly, causing Hermione to shake her head with a laugh.

"What am I going to do with you?" Hermione asked in a flat voice, though the tenderness in her eyes wasn't hard to read at all.

"So, Hermione Weasley, where would you like to go on your first fabulous honeymoon?" Ginny asked as she waggled her eyebrows at her fiancee.

"Hold on...Hermione Weasley? When did we decide that? We've gone over this - Ginevra Granger is so much better," Hermione rebutted.

"What?" Ginny exclaimed. "No way!"

"Are you saying you don't like my last name?" Hermione questioned. "It happens to be a very good one," she continued loftily.

"Granger," Ginny repeated in a tone - one laced in eminent defeat.

"Yes, Ginny Granger, my lovely wife." Hermione smiled in such a sweet way that it nearly made Ginny look away in shame over being so easily manipulated.

"Mione," Ginny whined.

"Ginny," Hermione said warmly before leaning in and kissing the girl softly on the lips.

The younger girl heaved a dramatic sigh before straightening her shoulders. "Well, I suppose there are enough Weasleys around..."

"I'm just kidding, Gin," Hermione chuckled. "I wouldn't mind having your name at all- honestly."

"Well," Ginny blushed in anticipation of what she was about to say, "I'd be honoured to have your name. I just had to put up a bit of a fight anyway - my withering pride, you know," she finished with a wink.

"Oh Ginny," Hermione laughed. A beat passed and the brunette cleared her throat before looking up at Ginny in slight apprehension. "So...Granger?"

"Granger," Ginny confirmed with a small smile.

The two joined in another hug and both seemed content to stay like that for several moments. Eventually, Hermione spoke though she didn't remove her head from Ginny's shoulder.

"Quite the journey, hm?"

"That's putting it lightly. For a period in time there I thought you and I were never going to get together. Then I nearly lost you," Ginny replied.

Hermione pulled back to cup Ginny's cheek, the brunette's hand as warm and comforting as ever. Then she spoke, that voice the one that Ginny had every intention of waking up to for the rest of her life.

"But we made it."

**AN**: Well, that's it from me. And I depart the same way I came in, with little fanfare and just quiet thanks for the outstanding, generous, and most of all, unexpected support I've received for my so-called creative efforts :p Honestly, it's the support I received in varying ways from various readers, that encouraged me to not only complete my first story, but then to write a second. And believe me when I say that these stories have changed my life in the most incredible of ways and for that I cannot thank any of you enough. Ultimately, I'd like to dedicate both stories to my wonderful girlfriend whom inspires me in everyday life and did so in written word before I even knew it.

Endless thanks to everyone for everything. Best wishes to all ;)


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